What If ?
by whatif05
Summary: Trying to reveale a murderer is always crazy, but this one is crazier than any other case they've ever had.
1. Chapter 1

It was a cold fresh morning, 5 am, when the nineteen-year-old Annabella Jenkins jogged through the forest. Listening to 'Misery' by Maroon 5 improved her mood, but didn't give her eternal energy. She stopped to take some deeper breaths when reaching the half of her route. She was just about to lean against a ladder of a forester's tree house, when she recognized the body. The young girl frightened screamed.

"You see boss, and you thought I wouldn't find it", Tony said proudly.  
"Yeah, I see, DiNozzo, but next time you could hurry a bit when driving us to a crime scene", Gibbs said after noticing that Ducky had arrived before them.  
After getting out of the car, the forester came up to Gibbs' team.  
"This is Annabella Jenkins, she found the body while jogging", the forester said, pointing to the brunette.  
Gibbs nodded. "Tony, talk to her", Gibbs said, before Tony went over to her.  
"Hi, I'm Special Agent DiNozzo", he said, getting all of the girls attention. Even though she was still outraged because of the dead navy man, Annie had to smile inside.  
But instead of talking, she just nodded.  
"Have you known the patty officer, Annabella?", Tony asked her.  
"Yes", she just said.  
McGee, who had to end a phone call in the navy yard first, joined the team to listen to Gibbs, telling him what happened. After he recognized Tony talking to Annie, he went over to them.  
"Annie, is everything okay?", McGee asked her, and instead of answering, she just hugged him.  
"I heard what happened, are you okay?", he asked the nineteen-year-old who nodded.  
"I'm fine."  
"You know each other?", Tony intervened.  
"Yes Tony, that is Annie, the best friend of my sister", McGee answered.  
Tony remembered McGee's sister. The first time he saw her was, when Tony went through his workmates iPod photos.  
"Why do you never introduce me to the girls in your life?", Tony asked his workmate.  
"What do you think would the reason be?", asked McGee.  
The two men talked to Annie for five more minutes, before they had let her go.  
Watching the young woman walk away into the second forest entrance, Tony was shocked. "Hey Probie", he said, hitting his workmate in the chest.  
"Ouch, what was that about, Tony?", McGee asked Tony, who looked at him full of hope.  
"Can you see what I see?", McGee followed Tony's view.  
"Trees, Ground, Birds. Never been in a forest before?"  
Tony shook his head from the sarcastic question.  
"The forester couldn't tell us anything, Ducky and Jimmy are already driving back to the navy yard with the body. Gibbs wants us to go back there now, too!" Ziva said, interrupting Tony's thoughts.  
"Alright, let's go", McGee answered, and the team went to the car, where their Boss was already waiting.

"What do we have?", Gibbs asked, standing in front of his desk.  
"The only witness, Annabella Jenkins, saw the body as we found it, she couldn't tell us anything else", Tony answered his boss.  
"Did she know the patty officer?", Gibbs then asked.  
"Yes."  
"Then why didn't you tell?"  
"Must forgot, but since our McGeek knows her, he may be able to bring her here", Tony proposed.  
"You know her, McGee?", Gibbs asked, looking at McGee.  
"Yes."  
"Then Bring her. And you Ziva, go to Abby, ask her what she got. Tony, you come with me", Gibbs said, walking to the elevators with Tony to get to Ducky.

"As you can seen, our Patty Officer is in good condition. And because of his uniform, he made it really easy for us to tell who he is: Patty Officer Ray Sprouse." the doctor explained shortly, with his Scottish accent.  
"How did he die?" Gibbs asked, with his typical listening face expression.  
"Well... there is a shot in the head, obviously, which makes it look like suicide, but..."  
"But it's not suicide." Tony said, hoping it was the right answer and hoping not to get one of Gibbs' famous head slaps.  
"I would say that it is, but... where is the weapon?", Ducky asked Tony.  
"The murderer wasn't prepared for the murderer."

"Or he was in hurry", Gibbs said, before leaving autopsy.

"So, there is a bullet, but no gun", Ziva noticed, dubious.  
"Yes, so it can't be suicide", the forensic scientist answered.  
"That's how far we came, Abbs. Anything else?"  
"Well, Gibbs, I have the bullet. But all I can tell you already is, that the bullet stems from a 'Glock 19' gun, with a length of 6.85 inches."  
"That's a pretty common gun, Abby."  
"Yes, but you know me, I'll find out from whose gun that bullet is."  
"Good. Ziva, you help her", Gibbs said before leaving, again.

"So what do I have to do, Abby?"

"Yes... yes I know... Yeah, yea, I understand, Annie. But it's important... I know... But then my boss is gonna kill me... Alright... I appreciate it, thank you", McGee said to Annie on the phone, then hung up.  
"Gonna kill you for what, McGee?", Gibbs that, starring at his co-worker.  
"Annie... she works in a bar-café kinda thing and... well I convinced her to come now."  
"Good, I'm gonna do the interrogation."  
"Then what should I do, boss?"  
"How about you find out why someone might killed the Patty Officer."  
"Right... right", McGee said, turning away from Gibbs, typing something in his computer.

"McGee?", Gibbs said to get McGee to look at him.

"Yeah boss?"

"Tell me everything important about Annie."

"Umm, 19, she'll go to college in a few months, pretty smart, multi talent, the Patty Officer was the best friend of her dad who was a marine as well. But her dad was killed when she was very young."

"So she and the dad Patty Officer stayed in touch?"

"Yes, I think he's friends with her mom."

"Did they ever had something?"

"No, not that I'm aware of. But Annie doesn't tell a lot about her mom so I can't tell, boss."

"Any siblings?"

"No", McGee shortly answered and that was enough as an answer for Gibbs, who just left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter 2! Thank you so much or the 4 reviews I already got, it means a lot. So here you go.**

**Ps: I DO NOT own NCIS (unfortunately)**

'Just came to NCIS, gonna be asked out bout Ray... see u later' Annie typed into her phone, then sent it to her best friend, Sarah McGee.  
"Annabella", Gibbs welcomed her, as she stepped out of the elevator.  
When not saying anything but smiling, Gibbs offered her: "If you'd follow me", then walked to the Interrogation rooms.

Being into one of those popular rooms about which she had heard so much already, she suddenly felt different.  
Hearing about all kind of people who had already sat on the chair she just sat it, she always imagined them being nervous and guilty. But now she sat in there, not as a suspect, but a witness.  
"So, you knew the Patty Officer, Annabella", Gibbs said, not questioning his knowledge.  
"Yes", she shortly answered him, remembering the last day she had spend with him.  
"And you know him through your dad"  
"Yes, sir", she said, looking straight into his eyes.  
"Was your dad a Patty Officer as well, Annabella?"  
Annabella nodded.  
"And Ray became friends with your mom as well."  
"Yes."  
"Okay, and do you know if the Patty Officer had any enemies, Annabella?"  
"No", she said, hiding her tension.  
"Did he never said anything? Not even when he told you some old stories from the time he had spend with your dad?"  
"No."

"You could've told me that she's not saying a lot, McGee", Gibbs said after walking out of the interrogation room.  
"Who are you talking about? Annie?"  
"Yes, or who have you seen sitting there in the interrogation room with me?"  
"Yeah, well but Annie is one of the most talking people I know, she is talking more than Tony."  
"Then why isn't she talking that much now?"  
"Do you suspect Annie, boss? Cause I trust your guts, I always do, but Annie killing someone? No!"  
"But when she is talking less than usually what is wrong with her, when not hiding something?"  
"Ray was the best friend of her dad, and also some kind of replacement. And she was the one finding him!"  
"I know, McGee, but are you sure that there is no way she would kill him?"  
"What does your gut feeling tell you, boss?"  
"I'm not asking for my gut feeling, McGee, I'm asking for yours", Gibbs yelled, making sure that his co-worker understood him.  
"No, she didn't kill him! She hates violence! When she was seven she stopped two old, tatooed biker guys from fighting! She is not scared to say what she thinks, and whatever comes, she would never ever kill someone!"  
"People can do a lot when they are mad... or drunk", Gibbs added, talking normal again.  
"She doesn't drink, boss."  
"She is working in a bar-café kinda thing, I thought?", Gibbs quoted him, "There you can drink a lot, you know?"  
"I know that, boss, but you can trust me. You asked me for my gut feeling, and who'd ever explain their gut feeling, boss? All I know is that you never do!"  
Gibbs said nothing, which made him get a questionable look from McGee.  
"So?", McGee asked.  
"Then what do we do next, McGee?"  
"How about you let me talk to her?"  
"No interrogations with people you know. When you do that with someone you know, it could change the perspective you see things they say from."  
"I didn't mean talking to her in the interrogation room, I meant talking to her in private."  
"Right now she is not the best friend of your sister, she only is another witness in one of the cases we have to close now."  
"Hey, is Annie in there?", Tony asked when arriving to the interrogation room area.  
"Yes. Did Ducky find anything else?"  
"Not yet. But hey, how about you go to Ducky and I continue the interrogation?", he proposed to his boss.  
"She's not saying much about it, Tony."  
"Well but maybe she is telling me more?"  
"And why would she do that?", Gibbs now stood right in front of Tony, looking straight into his co-workers eyes.  
"Because... uhmm... Because I more act like a teenager than you?"  
"Well give it a try, DiNozzo."

"Why are you in here now and not Gibbs?", Annie asked as soon as Tony closed the door.  
He didn't want to do the interrogation because he thought he could get more out of Annie than Gibbs had, but because of what he saw in the forest.  
Of course McGee now thought that he had no idea how a forest looked like, but he later would prove that he was wrong. That they were all wrong.  
"Because", Tony sat down, "He wasn't that excited that you didn't tell him a lot."  
"What did he suppose me to say? Who the murderer is?", she asked serious.  
"If you know who that is", he asked her back, as serious as she had talked.  
"I knew Ray, yes, I found his body, yes, I lost my dad, yes, I called NCIS because I know that they solve cases from murders of marines, yes. Anything else you'd like to know, Agent I-Am-The-Coolest-Guy-On-This-Planet!"  
"I know the loss was hard for you, but we are doing our best to find the murderer of Patty Officer Sprouse."  
"I know that you do that."  
"Then why were you yelling at me?"  
"Because", she said as if the answer was all obvoius, "It's not interesting to tell you what I know about that murder, when I know nothing about it!"  
"Well but that's just how it works."  
"Great. And I appreciate your work, but can I go now?"  
"Of course. And McGee has your number, so in case we need you again, we'll give you a call."

"Okay, that is it", she said mad.  
"Come down, Annie, everything will be fine", the brunette woman answered.  
"No, it's not! I can't believe he killed Ray! What if he kills Sarah now, too, because she knows?"  
"He won't!"  
"How can you be so sure? And if they find out? Then they'll be killed, too!"  
"It's not going to happen like that, Annie."  
"You say that so easy!"  
"Hey, it's not easy for me, either, okay?"  
"I'm sorry, Kate." Annie said to the brunette.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank y'all for the nice comments I got :) Hope you enjoy!**

**I still do NOT own NCIS !**

"Hey Tim, what are you doing here?", Annie asked when the young man walked into the Jenkins Bar.  
"I think I'd like to have a cheese cake", he said, smiling.  
"Good, take a seat and you'll get it. Coffee?"  
"Yes, please", he said before sitting down at the bar.  
Annie shortly disappeard, and then came back, placing the cake and the cup filled with the hot drink in front of him.  
"There you go."  
"Okay, thanks." After the cake and the coffe, McGee left again.  
And it only took seven minutes, till the next familiar face walked into the bar.  
"Hey, McGee told me you worked here, so I thought I should totally check this bar out", Tony explained, sitting down on one of the bar stools.  
"Great. So what'd you like?"  
"How about a cheeseburger?"  
"Cheeseburger it is", Annie said, walking into the kitchen and fastly came back.  
"There you go. Anything else?"  
"No, it's about it. So... where's your mom? This is a family business, isn't it", Tony asked, taking a bite.  
"She travels a lot", she answered while wiping the desk clean.  
"And leaves you all alone in this huge and full bar?"  
"I can handle it."  
"No one can own a bar all byself. The cooking, the washing, the serving."  
"I do."  
"Good for you. So, tell me about your mom."  
"She's not someone you're going to date someday. Yes, she's pretty. Really pretty to be honest", she said teasing.  
"How would you know if I wanted to date her?"  
"I have my sources."  
"And what is the name of your mom, Annie?"  
"Kaleena. Other questions, Agent Dinozzo?", she asked, enhancing every single word.

Coming back into the office, Tony was all confused.  
"What happened to you?", McGee asked him as soon as he saw his workmate.  
"Nothing, Probie. Just... weird days."  
"Why?"  
"You know, I shouldn't mind that you never introduce me to the girls in your life. They are weird."  
"Hey! My sister isn't weird, and neither is Annie."  
"Annie is NOT weird you say?"  
"So, what is it, that you find weird about her?"  
"Nothing at all, she's just mysterious."  
"And?"  
"What?"  
"You said she's weird. Then you said that she's just mysterious. Then what would the sense of this conversation be?"  
"Since when do we have conversations which make sense. It's like Gibbs buying a boat instead of building it all byself", Tony answered.  
McGee nodded. "Sorta true. But still, what did you really wanna say?"  
Tony said nothing, earning a waiting look from McGee. Tony stayed silent.  
"C'mon, I'm not you, I won't laugh at you."  
"No. You won't believe me anyway."  
"Fine. Keep it for yourself", McGee finally said.  
Actually Tony was about to tell McGee what he saw in the forest. _Who_ he saw in the forest. But logically McGee wouldn't believe him. He didn't believe it either. It couldn't be real. Not that he didn't want it to be real, no, he wanted it to be real so badly. But it was impossible. He couldn't have seen _her_. Because she was _dead_. He was with her on a roof when it happened. He heard her laughing, then saw her falling. He got some of her blood on his face. No, he couldn't have seen her standing there, Annie ranning over to her.  
"Tony? TONY", McGee now shouted, making Tony cringe.  
"Wh-what is it?"  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, of course I am! What do you think is wrong with me?"  
"Well I was talking and you didn't answer me to what I've said. And now that I shouted your name you cringed. Plus you don't look good."  
"Well, not talking while you are talking is called listening. And I haven't slept that much this night, okay? I'm just a little tired. And what do you mean, not looking good?"  
"Well not looking good as in, you look sick. You look all pale. As if you've seen a ghost or something like that!"  
"A ghost? Now you might go to the doctor, Probie."  
"I'm not joking."  
"Good, cause this is work", Gibbs who suddenly joined them said.  
"That's what I told him, too, boss", Tony said, giving McGee this 'Shut it, Probie' look.  
"Tony, you should go home, you look sick, get some rest", Gibbs said after looking at Tony for a few seconds.  
"On my way", Tony answered, slowly walking to the elevators.  
"What's wrong with him?", Gibbs asked.  
"He wouldn't tell me. But he is Tony, he'll tell anyone anyway."

Of course he didn't go home, but he did get some rest. But instead of resting in his own comfortable bed, he rested in Abby, or as she sometimes called it 'Labby'.  
"So, McGee said you're all weird since you started with the Petty Officer Sprouse case!"  
"Maybe I saw to many bodies, Abby."  
"I don't think so. Look at Gibbs, he's all... Gibbs."  
"What do you wanna say, Abby? Will I now transform into Gibbs?"  
Abby first didn't answer.  
"You don't sound the way you usually sound. So I know that you know what's up with you. And I think you should tell someone. If you don't wanna tell Ziva, McGee or Gibbs, it's fine with me. Cause you can totally tell me."  
"I know, but it's... nothing", Tony said, laying on the ground.  
"That is not true."  
"You know, I really don't feel so well, I think my silent room at home would make me feel a little better. But still", Tony got up, now looking eye in eye with the goth, "thanks for everything, Abs."  
"No problem. But still, you can really tell me everything", she said, just to make sure that he knew he could tell her.  
"I know", he said before leaving.

"What are you doing here again?", she asked.  
"Well, the cheeseburger really did it to me. But this time I'd like to try something differnet. So, I'd like to get a coke and a... cheesecake", Tony said after he sat down at the bar.  
"Oh, from cheeseburger to cheesecake. Huge step. But shouldn't you be at work?"  
"They told me to leave."  
"Why, what happened?", Annie asked a little bit confused.  
"Give me my order and I tell you."  
"Alright", she said before disappearing in the back area, also called kitchen.  
After coming back and giving him his order, she listened closely, expecting to hear a huge and interesting story.  
"They told me that I looked back and that I'd need to rest. So they sent me home."  
Annie just looked at him. "Wait, that's it? No big story?"  
"Why do you think would I tell a big story?"  
"Cause that's what you do."  
"How would you know?"  
"I know it from Tim", Annie said, making Tony stop saying anything.  
The man just ate a bit, until he finally talked again. "I'm sorry."  
"Sorry for what?"  
"Annoying you."  
"You don't annoy me. You're giving me your money."  
"But you don't talk to every customer."  
"No, not every customer talks to me."  
"But still, you can't deny that I annoy you."  
"Well maybe you do, but it doesn't bother me."  
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."  
"Sorry for what?", she asked, unsure what would come next.  
"Well... you lost your dad and now the best friend of him, who's been a kind of replacement for your dad over the years. I know it's tough and very hard losing someone you're close to and who you like a lot."  
The girl didn't say anything for a while. Then she smiled a bit.  
"It's okay."

Lying in his bed, he went through his talk with Annie again and again.  
Even though he still wasn't sure if what he saw in the forest was whether real or not, he couldn't get rid of the opinion that Annie looked a bit like _her_.  
Just like Kate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope you all like this chapter as well as the others!**

**Still do NOT own NCIS.**

"Okay, he definitely has some problems", Annie said, walking through the living-room.  
"What, why?"  
"Cause he came into the bar twice today and he's saying weird stuff!"  
"Calm down, everything is fine, he doesn't know", her best friend Sarah, who sat on the couch, said.  
"Who doesn't know what?" Walking in the room, she just catched a few words from the girls conversation. Even though she could already think of the person they were talking about, but the second part of the more important.  
She wore black, skinny jeans, no problem with her good body, and a pair of black high heels. Also she wore a white top, and a short black blazer over it. And else? Else she looked the way she always had looked - great. Or in other words: She always looked like her, Kate.  
"Tony. Telling me about him, you might've forgot to mention that he is crazy", Annie said a little desperate and really confused about her conversation with him.  
"Okay, but the second part? The he doesn't know what part, I mean."  
"Doesn't know about you."  
"Why me", the ex federal agent asked.  
"Well because that is what we were so afraid of in that case? Remember? The chance of them finding out about everything."  
"They won't find out, Annie", Kate tried to calm her down.  
The whole situation was hard to explain, but there was no need to explain it anyway, since nobody was allowed to find out.  
"But what if they want me to go to NCIS again? I can't go there again, pretending that I don't know what happened to Ray, or who his enemy was, when I do know it!"

After his random conversation with Annie, and his thoughts in his bed, he fell asleep. Waking up the next morning, he was glad that he didn't have to go to work. After all it was Saturday, a day to relax.  
After getting up, Tony decided to go into his living-room to watch TV. But he forgot to take a closer look on his watch, and at first he was confused there was no good show on TV, until he realized that it was six in the morning.  
How the hell could he be up that early?  
Not interested in watching infomercials at all, he went into the kitchen to get some food. But after a short look into the fridge he noticed that he didn't have food at home. But spending his money in some restaurant? In the early morning?  
Well, there was one place to go right now...

"You know, after I took a closer look, the way the Petty Officer died doesn't look like suicide at all", Ducky started his explanation to Gibbs. The only thing between the elder men was the dead body of Petty Officer Sprouse.  
"What should a shot in the head look like then, an accident?"  
"Well, Jethro, the happening is quite a few years ago, but you definitely remember it crystal clear."  
"What happening", Gibbs asked, looking at Ducky with that strict and interested look he'd always have, when Ducky didn't tell him some boring long story he wasn't interested in hearing.  
"Remember the day you've been on that roof, chasing Ari..."  
Gibbs took a deep breath. "Kate."  
Ducky only nodded.  
"You think it was some sort of revenge from someone from the Mossad?"  
"I only am the pathologist, you're the federal agent."

"Gibbs, why do you need me?", Ziva asked when entering the NCIS office area.  
"Is there someone who wants to take revenge on us for killing Ari?", Gibbs asked her seriously.  
"That is so long ago. Why do you bring that up now?"  
"You didn't answer my question."  
"No. If anyone would've wanted to take revenge, they'd already done it."  
Gibbs didn't say anything.  
"Why did you ask?"  
"Ducky said the shot in the head the Petty Officer died from doesn't look like suicide."  
"I thought we already knew it wasn't suicide", Ziva said, unsure where this conversation would lead them.  
"He says it looks like a kind of murderer we've lastly seen years ago."  
"Which one?"  
Gibbs just sent her a significant look.

"So, what would you do if Tony comes in here again?", Sarah asked, while sitting on one of the stools.  
"I might give him another cheese order, Sarah", the brunette said and after pausing she continued, "I'm sorry that you have to lie to your brother."  
"It's okay. I prefer lying than us all being killed", McGee's sister answered.  
"But still."  
"It's all fine, Annie. And if someone should be sorry it's not you."  
"Yes it is! Cause I told you the truth."  
"Yeah, but we're best friends. You can't keep a secret from me. And I go with you through everything", this made Annie smile a bit.  
But still she was sorry, of course she was happy to have her best friend with her in that awful situation, but actually that wasn't what best friends did.  
And as if they didn't knew it before, all of sudden Tony showed up at the bar, walking up to the two girls and then sitting next to Sarah.  
"You again", Annie greeted him emotionless.  
"Yeah, I think this became my favorite place", Tony shortly explained his presence.  
"After two different cheese meals?"  
"Yes."  
"You're weird."  
"Do you always say that to customers just because they tell you that they liked it here?"  
"Only the ones who all of sudden show up all the time."  
"I feel honored. Hey Sarah", Tony looked at the girl next to him, "Would you say that I'm weird?"  
"My opinion or my brothers?"  
"Both."  
"Interesting", Sarah slowly said.  
"So?"  
Sarah turned away from Tony, to Annie, "Hey An, do I have to answer this question?"  
Annie acted like thinking, then said "Well we're not interrogated, and you don't have to answer every question. So no, you don't have to answer this question."  
"You girls are scary", Tony said, making the girls smile.  
"So, what can I get you?", Annie asked, changing the subject.  
"A cheeseburger", Tony ordered, smiling.

"That's what he said?", Kate asked Annie, while the two of them were sitting on the couch.  
"Yeah", Annie said frowning, because neither she could believe that he really said that she looked like someone he haven't seen in a while and who was really pretty.  
"No, he didn't say that", Kate said, smiling inside.  
"Yes he did."  
"Well, he must've meant some woman he dated once."  
"No, he was clearly meaning you."  
"What if not?"  
"C'mon, we both know he was talking about you."  
"How can you tell, Annie?"  
"Because he saw you in the forest."  
"Alright, let's say he meant me. What about it? What if he thinks I'm pretty."  
Annie just smiled, thinking of all the stories Kate had told her about Tony and her.  
Her favorite stories was the one where Tony had the plague. Too bad that they never actually got the chance to be together...

**Thanks to everyone who will now leave a comment! You inspire me to write more :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the feedback! :-)**

**Still NOT owning NCIS.**

"Hey boss, had a nice weekend? What's new?", Tony said when walking into the NCIS bureau area.  
"Ducky is looking for more new things", Gibbs simply said.  
"What do you mean by 'more things'?"  
Ziva joined them "Gibbs, I asked my contacts, but there is no one who'd take revenge."  
"Revenge? Why revenge?", Tony asked confused.  
"You sure they don't lie to you? I don't think they'd confessed if they wanted to kill someone out of revenge", Gibbs said, ignoring Tony.  
"But I knew if they lied."  
"But what if the murderer didn't tell?"  
"It wasn't someone from the Mossad!"  
"Maybe it was your dad."  
"It wasn't my dad, Gibbs."  
"How can you be so sure?"  
"Give me evidence, maybe then I'm not sure anymore", Ziva said.  
Then Gibbs turned to Tony, "DiNozzo, bring McGee here."  
"Why McGee? If there is anything to do I can do that either! Plus I'm already here, McGee isn't."  
"I don't care. I want McGee to do some research."  
"Just because he's a McGeek doesn't mean he is better in researching than I am."  
"I don't want you to research that."  
"What?"  
"How about you go to Abby, Tony."  
Knowing that Gibbs wouldn't tell him what was going on, he left and went to Abby.  
"Why didn't you let Tony do the research?", Ziva asked her boss.  
"I don't want him to research for people who might kill someone because we killed Ari after he killed Kate", Gibbs explained.

"What do you have, Abby?", Tony asked when entering Abbys lab.  
"No fingerprints. His uniform came out of the laundry. No gun. Only the bullet."  
"Yeah, Gibbs already told me the bullet came from a Glock 19."  
"Sorry, nothing more, Tony."  
"Then how do we find out who killed the Petty Officer?"  
"The way you always do I guess."  
After thinking about what Abby said, Tony asked her, "Do you know what Gibbs meant when he said that someone might've killed the Petty Officer because of revenge?"  
"No."  
"He thinks someone from the Mossad wanted to take revenge on someone and killed the Petty Officer. And then Gibbs said that he wants McGee to do research on that thought. Then I offored myself for that job, but he said he didn't want me to."  
"That's strange."  
"I know, right?"

Coming home she was shocked. And this was one of those times when she wasn't feeling good to be all by herself at home.  
Kate was in the bar now. She wanted Annie to go to the supermarket and buy some things.  
And when you go shopping you always meet someone you know. And sometimes you don't like those people. Or even worse: you're scared of them.  
And it wasn't like she easily got scared or that she disliked a lot of people. But there was one person who ruined her life, and who controled it as well. But doing everything that person wanted her to do wasn't enough, that person had to talk to her as well. And that was the bad part. She didn't want to see that person. She wanted to avoid that person.  
And when Sarah came through the door from the bar, Annie cringed.  
"Everything okay?", Sarah asked, before realizing that the answer was 'no', "What happened, Annie?"  
"I went to the supermarket", her voice was shaking.  
"You mean he...", Annie said nothing so Sarah continued, "What did he say?"  
"Just that... we have to stop NCIS from that case."  
"Or what?"  
"Or that."  
"And how should we do that? Stop them I mean", Sarah asked.  
"How would I know? Can't this just stop?"  
"I wish so..."  
Annie took a look to the clock.  
"Urgh, I have to go to the bar."  
The two girls went through the door from the living-room to the bar to take over from Kate who then switched into the kitchen. Sarah sat on her regular stool.  
"You know, I just wish that this stops and everything is normal. I mean no lying, no pretending that Kate is my mom. And then everyone would be happy."  
"Yeah, only one problem: It won't stop, Annie."  
"I know, but I want to...", Annie said before Tony walked in and sat down next to Sarah again.  
"Hey ladies."  
"Let me guess, cheeseburger?"  
"You know, that is how a seller should talk: Always knowing what their customer wants", Tony said and Annie quickly got his order.  
"There you go."  
"So, what were you girls talking about? Looked pretty serious", he said, looking at the two curiously.  
"We were talking about Ray", Sarah explained for Annie.  
"Really? What exactly?"  
"We were thinking what it would be like if we knew who killed him and why", Annie honestly said.  
"And what would it be like?"  
"I guess it would be good, because then this subject would be over."  
"Well, I bet we'll find out who killed him and why really soon."  
"Why?"  
"Because we're really good."  
"Really? Since when?", Sarah asked laughing.  
"Really funny, Sarah. We've always been."  
"Whatever. So, any new evidence?"  
"No. It's weird, the murderer looked like suicide, but the murderer must be new at this, because he took the weapon. But there is a bullet though, so we were able to identify the kind of weapon the bullet comes from. But we still have to look for the weapon, of course", Tony explained, having the full attention of both girls.  
"So, even with that less of evidence you can find the murderer?"  
"Well, of course we haven't closed every case. But we do close a lot, even with less evidence. One time we could find a murderer, even though we'd only found the body through a picture a blind photographer took."  
"Incredible", Annie said fascinated.  
"Yeah, right?"  
"I hope you find the murderer", Annie said honest.  
"Of course you do, whoever did it took away a loved one", the federal agent agreed.  
A few minutes after talking a bit more, Sarah had to go, leaving Annie alone with Tony, and of course everyone else who was in the bar.  
"Can I ask you something?", Annie asked, looking Tony in the eyes.  
"Was that the question already?"  
"No."  
"Yes you can", Tony said, curious what was coming next.  
"I mean you don't have to answer at all, just curious. What was the hardest case you've ever had?"  
Tony was thinking. Not because he was trying to remember the hardest case, but he was thinking how to explain.  
"Well, it was when we weren't really trying to solve a murder, it was when we were chasing a terrorist. For some reason he wanted to kill Gibbs. But before that, he wanted to torture him, trying to kill people from his team. But anyway, we thought he was on this one rooftop, so we went there. A few people from the terrorist's team were on that rooftop, and we could kill them all. But that terrorist wasn't on it. He was on another. And then, when Gibbs, myself and... a woman of Gibbs' team were still standing on that roof... And then she was shot... by that terrorist. Gibbs and I were covered with her blood and... it was just... awful", Tony explained her.  
Annie noticed how hard it was, and knowing he was talking about, she had to close her eyes for a second to digest it.  
"That must've been really hard", she finally said, opening her eyes.  
"It still is, but... life goes on. You can't change it", he said.  
"Were you two close?"  
"Well", Tony paused to laugh a bit, "we were teasing us all the time, maybe in some sibling kind of way, but...", as he was talking, Annie took a sip from the glass of water she had placed in front of her, "I loved her."  
After saying those three words, Annie had to spit out her water, in shock.

**I hope you did NOT do the same Annie just did? :D**

**Thanks to everyone who will now leave a review for me, I appreciate it.**


	6. Chapter 6

When she later lied in her bed, she decided not to tell anyone what Tony had told her. Especially after he added that he had never told anybody about his feelings for Kate. And even though Annie was shipping them after all the stories Kate had told her about her career as an NCIS agent, she was still shocked to out of sudden hear at least one of them admitting it.  
Well, he probably hadn't told her, if he knew that Kate was still alive and that Annie had to do with her.  
But something that was way more important than love was the fact that the NCIS team only had a bullet. No fingerprints. No weapon. Just a body and the bullet that had killed it. Annie didn't think that they would find out, who had murderer Ray. But was it really what she wanted? Would her life, their all lifes, be better then? Or was it the most stupid thing that could happen? Was it worth the risk? Well, she thought, whatever is going to happen, I can't change it.

The latest days have been weird. And everyday he would find himself in the Jenkins Bar. It was weird, that he told her. Because he was still thinking that he had seen Kate in the forest, when they found the body. And he was still thinking that Annie looked like her. But about the first thing: It was impossible. He must've seen it because he wanted to. Doesn't that happen? He could go to Rachel, Kate's sister. She was psychologist, so she could tell him. But that would be weirder, and stupid. And to his second thought: That's possible. Of course it was clear: Annie had the same eye and hair color Kate had, but a lot of people had that! And else? Maybe it was just coincidence. Who knew? It didn't matter, because a fact was: Kate was dead. And Tony had never heard that anyone ever got back to life, except for Jesus, but Jesus was an exception. And why was he even thinking about it? He was wasting his time. He better be working on the case than thinking about someone he missed more than anything.  
Thinking about it, he never admitted that he missed Kate. Yes, he never said the opposite, but he never told anybody how he really felt. All the pain. The dreams of her, her smile, her beautiful eyes.  
The times he went into his bathroom, remembering the case where they had to stay at one's family house and he brushed his teeth while she was under the shower, singing. When she realized that Tony was in the bathroom, too, she hit him with a sponge.  
He remembered when they once went to a college, looking for a murderer, they argued about something, standing really close, and while she was talking, she kept starring at his lips. As is, _I wanna kiss you_.  
Why didn't she?  
Or why didn't he?  
Was it rule number 12?  
Or was he afraid to be turned down by the one and only?  
Whatever it was, he suddenly went from sadness to anger.  
He was mad at himself, mad for not doing any of those things. Now, when he realized what he had missed, it was too late.

They didn't come any further in the case at all. No new evidence, still haven't found the weapon.  
It wasn't like he didn't want to close the case, but he didn't mind that the end of this one was coming soon, because he liked seeing Annie. Not in a crazy way, he wasn't in love with her (geez, that'd be too crazy!), but she reminded him of Kate, and he wanted to figure out in what way.  
Two things were sure. A: She wasn't, couldn't be Kate's daughter (Kate was dead, clearly, and even if, Annie was so old, that if she's been Kate's daughter, Tony would've known.) and B: She wasn't Kate's sister as well (Therefore she was too young). So what exactly was it, that reminded him of her, and why?

Days passed, and Annie seemed to enjoy talking to Tony as much as he did. Or maybe he first noticed it now.  
"So, still haven't found the weapon?"  
"No, the murderer was a damn genius, that's for sure", Tony said, taking a break from his cheeseburger.  
"But why is it so important to find the weapon anyways? I mean, can't you find the murderer without a weapon?"  
"Yes, actually. But then again: With what? There's not enough evidence to find anything. We have the body and the bullet, that's how it is", Tony explained, to make sure that she understood how they seriously had two things only.  
"Then how about checking his phone? Any strange calls, or maybe someone who called him like thousand times in a row?"  
"Well, he didn't carry his phone, and we didn't have the chance to visit his home yet."  
"Still not? Aren't you guys working on this since almost two weeks? If I was you, going into his home was one of the first things."  
"Do you have a key for it?"  
"Yes."  
"Then how would you like to be my assistant today", Tony asked, smiling.  
"Sure, if I get paid for it", Annie said, winking.  
"Dream on, girl. So, when will you close the bar?"  
Annie took a look on her cell phone.  
"Forget it, the bar opens until two a.m., no way I'll be breaking into a dead marine's house by then!"  
"Then how about tomorrow morning? Let's say... at ten?"  
"The bar is closed tomorrow, so sure."  
"Good, tomorrow it is."

The next day, Annie has been waiting outside the house for whole fifteen minutes, until Tony had finally shown up.  
"What took you so long", she asked when he arrived.  
"Work, Annie. And then I told Ziva I had to do some business, and then I drove here. So, do you have the key?"  
Instead of answering, Annie walked up to the door, unlocking it with the key.  
Stepping inside, Tony looked around.  
"Why is he having an own house? I mean, wouldn't an apartment be enough for one person, especially since he's a marine?"  
"It was his parents house. They died and he moved in here. He used to have an apartment until three years ago", Annie shortly explained.  
"So... where will his cell phone be?"  
"I don't know, just look around. You can also check the caller list on his phone."  
"On it", he said, then he went to the telephone, while Annie looked for the cell phone.  
After finding it, they sat down on the couch and went through the caller lists.  
And logically they wore gloves, even though this wasn't a crime scene.  
"So, was he dating someone?"  
"No, in all the time I know him, he hadn't gone out with anybody at all."  
"That's strange", Tony said, thinking about how it would be for him, not to date anyone anymore.  
"For him, it wasn't."  
"Why not? Some religious thing?"  
"No. He just didn't feel to."  
"Hmm..." Tony just said, still going through the caller list.  
"Have you found anything, yet?", Annie asked, stopping to go through the caller list from Ray's cell phone.  
"Well, nothing. Just yours. It's like the list only says 'Jenkins'. So, no strange callers on here. What about the cell phone?"  
"Nothing", she said, throwing her head back.  
"So now what, detective?", Tony asked.  
"Ha, ha. Really funny", she said ironically. "Okay, you know what Tony? We won't find a thing in here, let's quit it."  
"You sure? Yesterday you seemed like there wasn't something you wanted more than finding his murderer, and now you just wanna quit?"  
"Actually, I don't think his murderer was here! He hasn't been here much, anyways. If he wasn't out of the country or elsewhere busy with the job, he's often been in the bar or just at my place", she explained.  
"So, where should we look, then? At yours?"  
"You're not gonna set a single toe into my house", she said smirking and challenging.  
"What about the bar?"  
Annie set out a laugh, "You've got to be kidding me! There are like a hundred people each day, except on the weekends, what do you think will you find there?"  
"Other places? Some hobby he had where he had to go somewhere? Maybe the gym? Or a forest where he was jogging through?"  
"Like the one where I found him you mean?"  
Tony gave an _I'm sorry_ look for saying that. "Sorry. But... yes. Was he always there?"  
"No, he never went jogging, and he never went into the forest! I have no clue what he was doing there!"  
"That's not making it any better", Tony realized.


	7. Chapter 7

**Still do NOT own NCIS.**

"But there must be any way to find out who murdered him", she desperatley said.  
"Tell me... is Ray having any weapons?"  
Annie thought about it, "I don't know, maybe?"  
"We should check for that! But since this house is, even though it's little, too big for us two to be the only ones to look for the weapon, I'll call McGee", Tony explained, before he called his co-worker.  
Minutes passed, until the nerdy man came in.  
"You called me?"  
"Yes, Probie, see, this is the house of Petty Officer Ray Sprouse, and we'll be looking for every single weapon he keeps in here now", Tony shortly said.  
After nodding and a bit talking, the three scattered in the house, looking for a gun.

"Where are Tony and McGee", Gibbs shouted, when entering the bureau area of NCIS.  
"Tony said he had to do some business, and later on McGee said he had to meet Tony", Ziva quickly explained.  
"And where do they have to do this _business_?"  
"I don't know, they both were in a hurry."  
Gibbs took his phone, calling Tony.  
"Yeah, boss?", the federal agent answered.  
"Tony, where the hell are you and McGee?"  
"We are in the house of Petty Officer Sprouse."  
"Why?"  
"Because what if, the weapon isn't property of his murderer, but his own?"  
Gibbs hung up.  
"Ziva, we gotta go."  
"Where?"  
"Tony had an idea."

"Hey, boss", Tony greeted Gibbs, when he and Ziva entered the house.  
"Have you found the gun?"  
"Not yet."  
Ziva went to look for it, herself, leaving Tony and Gibbs in the hallway.  
"But Tony, do you think the Petty Officer went into the forest without a reason with his gun?"  
"Some people are super safe. Just remember Kate! She slept with a gun, boss! And maybe the Petty Officer knew something was going to happen, or he just never leaves his house without a weapon", Tony explained his thoughts.

"Tony?", hearing his name, the federal agent turned around, seeing Annie standing in front of him.  
"Have you find a weapon?"  
"No, but a firearm certificate", she said, holding the piece of paper in his direction.  
"Guys", he shouted, so McGee, Gibbs and Ziva joined them.  
"Have you two found the gun?", Ziva asked.  
"No, but this here", Tony hold the paper in the air so they could see it, "a firearm certificate for a 'Glock 19'."

"Here", Gibbs said, laying the gun on Abby's evidence table.  
"Wait", she said, looking at it, "Is this what I think it is?"  
"That's what you should find out, Abs."  
"Well, I can find out if that's the gun we're looking for, but I might need a drink for that..."  
"You'll get it afterwards", Gibbs said, smiling, leaving her with all that.

"So, you guys found the gun", Kate repeated, to assure that she understood it correctly.  
"Yep. Whatever, their not going to solve the case anyway", Annie said hopeless.  
"Uh!, I've always hated bête noires. But living in one? Sucks even more."  
"But what if they find fingerprints?"  
"Do you really think so?"  
"Have you read '_The Guardian_' by Nicholas Sparks?", Annie asked.  
"Uh, no?", Kate said, a bit confused about the sudden change of subject.  
"Because, in the book the protagonist has a stalker, and he killed like three or four people, and a dog, and he almost killed another woman. And he had a wrong identity, the police first thought that they would never find out who he really was. But since he was a little boy, he loved photography. And since he kept all the cameras, the police just had to take the serial number, and then they could find out who bought them. And that's when they found out his real name", Annie shortly explained, "And that's how it is, right? Even when you think someone is unconquerable, no one can be invisible. Everyone leaves evidence. There are no perfect criminals in this world."  
"Okay, you might have a point. But still, it could take a while. Plus, it's a book we're talking about, of course it would turn out to be good in the end."  
"Not every book has a happy ending."  
"Oh really? C'mon actually, every book, every movie has a happy ending."  
"Duh, c'mon! In _Bambi_, his mother died. In _50 first dates_ they might be together in the end, but still, she could never remember him the next day. He can't seriously be 'happy' with her, til they die. And what about _the little mermaid_, the original by Hans Christian Andersen, I mean? She and the prince do not come together, living happily ever after, no, she turns into some air spirit! I could continue now, but well..."  
"Fine, there are a couple of stories that do not turn out well, but still. This has nothing to do with reality."  
"I know, I know. But Kate?"  
"Yes?"  
"They can find him, right?"  
"Sure they can", Kate said, even though she wasn't all sure about it.

"I don't think we will ever solve this damn case", Tony complained, sitting at his desk at NCIS office.  
"We can't solve it, when you don't work, DiNozzo", Gibbs said, with that calm voice he'd always use when talking in an ironic way.  
"There's nothing to do, boss! Abby is checking on the weapon, together with McGee. Ducky and Jimmy are still looking for new evidence on the body, and since we don't have any suspects or other evidence, we can't do anything."  
"There's always something to do, Tony", Ziva said.  
"Oh really? Then what are you doing, Ziva?", he asked, mad that she had to intervene in a conversation again. And when they fought or discussed something, it wasn't the way it was with Kate.  
With Kate, it was always funny, exciting, and he loved it.  
But with Ziva it was different. It wasn't as if he didn't like her, because he did. She became a good agent, she could be funny, and she was kind of nice. But still he saw her as some replacement for Kate. And replacement wasn't something positive. It was the way it was, no matter who would've taken the job after Kate, he wouldn't be able to like the person at all, because he missed Kate.  
After Vivian Blackadder didn't work for NCIS, she worked in Gibbs team before Kate joined them, he thought Okay, let's have a smaller team. Gibbs, Abby, Ducky, Gerald and him. It would be a bit strange, and maybe boring, without a female agent by his side, but Viv had become a good friend of them, they've already been like some kind of family. And after she stopped working there, it was as if she was his sister, he finished High School, and moved into college or so. That was okay, it was bad at first, but alright. And then Kate came.  
At first she was just some annoying Secret Service woman, one of those, who'd do anything, never breaking the rules, not even thinking about it. Lame, boring, and without a great life. With NCIS, she kind of changed. Well, in fact she didn't really changed, she just became a more natural her.  
And that was, when Tony felt like they really were a family. And the family grew. Tony got a 'brother', an annoying one, one with whom he'd always fought, just like with Kate. McGee would be some total smart brother. Gibbs was the dad who everybody loved. Kate was the perfect little daughter, with whom Tony had to fight over Gibbs love. Ducky was the crazy uncle, with all those long stories from his life. Gerald was the other uncle, who was more like Tony, more like any other man. After Gerald, Jimmy was the weird, in a good way, but funny cousin. Abby would probably be the youngest sister, not of her age, but because she was the most different, in a good way of course.  
And after Kate's death, when Ziva and Jenny came, Jenny had the part of the mother. And Ziva? Ziva didn't fit at all. Maybe like the strange exchange student from Israel, who always made speaking mistakes, which sometimes really annoyed Tony. All in all, she became more an adopted sister, who came after Kate left, just like Vivian.  
"I am going through his caller list", the Israeli explained.  
"What? Wait, I already did that!"  
"Double check is better, isn't it?"  
"And have you already found something?"  
"No, not yet. He didn't use it so often."  
"Have you also checked his cell phone", Tony offered, teasing.  
"Yes."  
"Also the text messages?"  
"No."  
"Ha", Tony said laughing, happy that she didn't do everything yet. But that just caused him that she almost threw the cell phone at his head, before realizing, that it wasn't some stupid toy, but a part of the crime scene. So she got up from her chair, and gave it to Tony, who first had to put on gloves, before taking the phone, and looking for text messages.  
It wasn't anything interesting to find. Until he found something different. Something, that automatically made him go...

**Oh? What did Tony find, huh? **


	8. Chapter 8

As always, I do NOT own NCIS. But if I did, this would become a real episode/ real episodes ;-)

There was a knock on the door.  
"Urgh", Annie said, annoyed to get up again, since she was about to watch 'Ghost Whisperer', a tv sheries about Melinda, a woman who was in a happy marriage, living in a small town. Everything normal, except for the fact that she was able to talk to ghosts. She could see and hear them. And she helped them to go into the light.  
But the knock on the door hindered her to watch it, so she just turned it off again.  
Opening the door, she asked "What do you want?" In an annoyed way. Not all annoyed, maybe the way you just ask someone who keeps coming into your bar-café every day.  
"Can I come in?", Tony asked, but before she could answer, he walked in, closing the door. Looking at the walls, he immediately noticed something "Wow, I keep seeing you and only you on the walls."  
"Well, I'm pretty, do you mind", she said as sign, that he should answer her question, before she would give him a serious answer.  
Going into the living room, where he stopped walking, just like her, he took out the cell phone.  
"This", he started, making her look at it.  
"What about it?", she asked, not knowing where this conversation would lead.  
"Well, I just went through it, actually nothing interesting, until I found some text message conversation you and he had."  
"And", she said, still not sure what he wanted to say.  
"What where you talking about?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"You've heard me, Annie. You guys were talking about some secret."  
"Yes, something everyone has, do you want me to tell you mine? Forget it."  
"Really? I told you mine, now it's your turn."  
"No way! I don't do this stupid secret for secret thing. Secret means, that no one knows it."  
"But he did."  
"Yes, but you don't."  
"Let's change that."  
"Tony, we're not going to change that", she answered, with a serious expression on her face, which sort of said No matter what you're doing, you won't get it out of me.  
"Is that why he died? Because of your secret?" That was what let silence fill the room. But after a few seconds she madly answered "How dare you think so? Are you blaming me for his death?"  
"Maybe I do."  
"Oh, _maybe_? Well, _maybe_ you better leave now!"  
"No way I'm going to leave. I'll stay until you told me your damn secret! You know, I kind of don't wonder to death what your secret is, but", he started talking louder, "it seems as if it's important in this damn case, and if you don't help, I guess you killed him!"  
"Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of a joke? Because I don't tell everybody I barely know since a short time my secret, I killed a friend of mine, who I've known for ever, someone you means so much to me, that I help you find his damn murderer?"  
"Well maybe you're helping was about to lead in the wrong direction!"  
"You found the stupid weapon, because we went to his house! How stupid are you, Tony?"  
"Hey Annie, I'm home", she said, interrupting Annie and Tony's fight and earning a confused look from Tony, and an Annie who facepalmed herself.  
"Duh?!" Was all that could come out of Tony after seeing Kate.  
"Okay, forget it, I've got to go to the bar", Annie said, not knowing what else to do, and leaving the two alone.  
"Hey", Kate just said, smiling innocently.  
"K-Kate?", he asked, irritated.  
"Haven't seen you in a while", she answered.  
"But you... you are... you are dead", he finally said, totally confused.  
"Not at all", she honestly corrected him.  
"But... but how?"

"Where is Tony?", Abby answered, when leaving the elevator to talk to Gibbs.  
"He left, he said he found something."  
"I understand...", she said, not quite sure what that meant.  
"Then explain it to me, Abby, cause I have no idea why DiNozzo lately disappears out of sudden, and why he's acting weird since we found the Petty Officer", Gibbs said interested.  
"Alright, I have no idea", Abby finally admitted.  
Gibbs grinned, "What do you want, Abs?"  
"Well, I didn't find any fingerprints on the weapon, except the ones from Petty Officer Sprouse."  
Gibbs looked at her, waiting to see if she had more to say, and after she didn't say anything else, he asked "So?"  
"But", she said, now smiling, "I did found DNA from someone else."  
"Whom?"  
"Someone who sounds pretty familiar to me. He wasn't a criminal though. But I'm pretty sure that I've heard of the name before, I just can't remember from where..."  
"Maybe High School, or maybe college? A party maybe?"  
"No, no, not there. I no he had something to do with NCIS, but I don't remember what it was. Just come down in my Lab, maybe you remember him."

"Alright, so... but it's kind of a long, complicated story, and..."  
"I don't care, I wanna hear it. I mean... right now I'm... confused! Is this some kind of a joke?"  
"No. It's really me, Tony."  
"But this is impossible! I was there with you..."  
"Okay. This may sound very strange, but, that wasn't me."  
"What? Kate, we've worked together long enough to notice if that wasn't you."  
"Fine, I'll tell you from the very beginning."  
"Alright", he said, still confused.  
"Well, you know that I have three older brothers and an older sister, right?"  
"Yes, and crazy how I met your sister a few months ago..."  
"But also", she started with the other part, "I have another sister."  
"What? No way!"  
"Yes. Actually, a twin sister."  
"What? No, no, no! You've never mentioned a twin sister before!"  
"Because. My twin sister, Kaleena, had a husband, Annie's dad, Jim. But he died during his job as marine when Annie was only two years old. And Kaleena loved her husband to death, she completly changed afterwards! I mean, it's logical that she couldn't live in the same house again, but she never told anyone where she moved with Annie. She just... disappeard, we looked for her, my parents even got private investigators to look for her, but without any look. So after years we gave up. And because Kaleena was so upset after Jim's death, we thought she might have had an accident. So we thought she was dead."  
"So, that's why she's not listed in your folder?"  
Kate nodded. "Well she is, but as missed person. And then, the day we were about to chase Ari, she suddenly... she suddenly stood in front of my door. With Annie. I couldn't believe it. I thought, maybe she was okay again. Maybe she wanted to start all over. But she... she wanted something else", tears came into her eyes, when she was talking about that day, "She said she couldn't take it anymore. She gave me a letter, told me to read it. But I said I wanted to talk to her first. And then she... told me that she knew that Ari was about to torture Gibbs. She said because she loved me, because she couldn't lose another family member, she wanted to die for me. I wouldn't let her, but she just went into my bedroom, took my weapon and all the stuff, and then she took my keys and left."  
"And you didn't follow her?"  
Kate shook her head, "I wanted. I was about to leave, but then Annie hold my hand so I wasn't able to move, she looked at me and said, 'Let her go. She's crazy'. I didn't know what to say or to do, so I took the letter and read it."  
"What did it say?"  
"It said, that I should take care of Annie. That she knew she went crazy, and that she didn't want that for Annie. But she also didn't want to kill herself. Even if this was a kind of suicide."  
"Wow...", Tony said speechless, "I didn't notice any difference between her and you."  
"You didn't assume someone else."  
"I know, but still..." Tony said. Both didn't say anything for a while. Tony looked at her, feeling her pain, but he also knew that she, just like he, felt good, that the truth was out. The he pulled his arms around her neck. She pulled her arms around his body, letting a few tears out.  
After a few seconds Tony let go again, looking at her with a question mark on his face. "But... why didn't you tell? I mean... You could've come and told me..."  
"Well, that's the other part of the story."  
"Of course it wasn't enough drama yet..."  
"A couple of days before I came to some new evidence to a cold case. Well... it wasn't that cold at all, Only a few months. But anyway, I found out the murderer from that case and I wanted to tell Gibbs about it right after we'd be done with Ari. But then... After my sister left as me, the guy, whose actions I had found about a few days before, suddenly came into my house. He threatened me, telling me to change into my sister..."  
"Or else", Tony asked careful, not quite sure if he wanted to know the answer.  
"Or else he'd kill us."  
"But... why?"  
"He said the murder was an accident, he swore that he didn't want to do so, and he said that he wanted to leave that behind."  
"And now he is wasting his life, stalking you?"  
"Sort of."  
"But... you should've told the police, Kate!"  
"I couldn't. And actually it could be that he knows that you know that I am still alive!"  
"I'm a special agent Kate, I'll get done with that guy."  
"Tony! That guy is a psycho, no matter how good you are. Listen. Ray was about to go to NCIS, telling you everything. He was talking with us about it, Annie and I told him not to, because it would be too dangerous, but he didn't listen to us. And that was the last time we saw him alive."  
Tony swallowed. "But... but I can go to NCIS! I'll tell Gibbs!"  
Tony was just about to head to the door, when Kate took his hand and pulled him back, his face just a few inches away from hers. Looking into his eyes, she softly said, "You can't go, Tony!"  
"Don't worry, Kate, he won't come and hurt you", he assured her.  
"That's not it. I can't let you go. It's too dangerous."  
"I'll make it."  
"No, I let my sister go, I let Ray go. I'm not letting you go, either", she said with a strong voice.  
Before nodding, he pulled her in his arms again, "Okay. I stay", he said, before kissing her head to show her that he was there for her.

"Alright, so that's him", Abby told Gibbs, showing him the picture and the name of the man in his fourties.  
"Yeah, I know him...", Gibbs said, but not knowing from where.  
"See, I told you I didn't know him from High School or college!"  
"Me neither..."  
"He was no murderer though, nor was he a criminal."  
Suddenly Gibbs knew who that guy was. "I used to not be quite sure if that man is a murderer, but I think now I am sure that he is."  
"Wait, you remember him?", Abby took her eyes from the picture to Gibbs, waiting for an answer.  
"Yeah, he was a suspect, but that was a case we never closed."  
"So we have our murderer?"  
Gibbs thought about something before answering, "Or maybe the murderer has Tony."

Wow, longest chapter so far :D And finally a bit more action and suspense in it, huh? And what now?


	9. Chapter 9

**I do NOT own NCIS, but if so, there would be some TATEish episodes coming out, written by me and (her fanfiction name) „Sporty Lovatic" LOL. Okay, just enjoy.**

"Wait... what do you mean by that?"  
"The whole time I felt like Tony knows more than we do, maybe he found out who the murderer is."  
"So, you think that he might be going to find that Bruce guy?"  
"I think so, and he must know where to find him, since he left NCIS pretty fast."  
"Yes, but he'll be fine", Abby started, more saying it to make herself feeling better, "He will right?"

It was noon, Kate told Annie not to close the bar, since that would've been to obvious.  
But it was friday, and on fridays most people seemed to out of sudden drive somewhere else. Anyway, since most people were heading to the beach, or doing some hobby or maybe visiting their family, there weren't lots of customers.  
So one of the three would just check if there was someone new entering the bar, every five minutes.  
Meanwhile, Kate was cooking and Tony was sending McGee a text message.

"Yes, he will, Abs, don't worry", Gibbs said, before McGee entered Abbys lab.  
"Anything new down here?", McGee asked.  
"No, nothing new. From you-", Abby started, but got disturbed by the sound of McGees cell phone.  
"What is it? Is it Tony?", the goth asked hopeful.  
"Yes, it's a text message", he answered.  
"So? What does it say", Gibbs asked.  
"It says, 'I found the murderer. Real psycho'", McGee stopped after he had already read the next line in his head.  
"What? What is it, is he hurt", Abby asked uptight.  
"No, but I think he meant himself with being a psyho."  
"Why so", Gibbs asked, not sure what McGee meant by that.  
"The last line says 'P.S. Kate is still alive'."  
Silence filled the room.

"You did WHAT", Kate asked him, not quite sure if she had heard him right.  
"I just had to tell them", Tony defended himself.  
"Via a text message? You could've waited a few hours with that or even days!"  
"No I couldn't! Plus, what's the big deal with it, anyways?"  
"The big deal, Tony? You're asking me what the damn big deal with it is? Let me think, hm, maybe the fact that he might be checking your phone, hecking himself in it and he might be reading the text message now. Which would cause your death, idiot!"  
"HEEEEEEEEEEY!", Annie screamed, to stop them. After she had entered the room, she heard them fighting. "Dang it, what's wrong with you two?"  
"Tony here is sending text messages, saying that I am alive", Kate explained, giving Tony a mad sight.  
"Idiot, Ray was sending me text messages saying that he was about to go tell the secret, and that caused him his damn death!"  
"Yes, but the difference is, that we're three now, while Ray was sadly all by himself. Listen, I'm not letting this Bruce man close to you! And especially, I'm not letting him hurt one of you. And he won't hurt me either."  
"You can't promise that, Tony", Kate said, telling him that he should not make them too many promises, promises he couldn't be sure of keeping.  
"I know, but I'll try."  
Out of sudden Annie had to laugh, gaining two confused pair of eyes looking at her.  
"What are you laughing about", Tony asked, with his confused face expression.  
"Oh, whether I die because of the reason you're fighting or not, this is worth it... Too cute", she answered under her laughs.  
"Cute?", Kate asked, not sure if Annie just really said that.  
"Yes, this improves the whole situation."

"So, how do we know where they are now", Ziva asked, after she joined them in Abbys lab and being updated.  
"I guess they might be at Annies home", McGee said.  
"Alright, but Tony said that Bruce Walters, who already murdered two marines, is a psycho. It seems as if that means, that he doesn't want to go to prison for his actions, which has to be the reason why Ray had to die", Gibbs offered.  
"Good, but how do we get him then?"  
"Well, he might have hacked into Tony's phone, so he possibly knows what we know. And that means, that we don't have a lot of time to find him. And I suppose Bruce to be in the area of Annie's house. That means, Ziva, you have to come from behind, McGee, you have to drive to Annie from here, and I'll come from the other end of the road", Gibbs announced.  
"But what about the bar? What if your guy is in the bar", Abby asked.  
Gibbs looked her in the eyes.  
"You'll go in the bar."  
"Me? But I'm not even an agent, Gibbs."  
"You can do it, we need you now, Abs. If he's in there, ya have to give me a call, that's all. Think you can do it?"  
"Okay, Gibbs. Let's do it for Annie, Tony and Kate. Wow... feels strange to say that."  
"Let's go."

"You're a great cooker, you know? It's too bad you never cooked for me before", Tony said during the lunch.  
"Don't get used to it."  
"That means next time you'll eat together will be at your first date", Annie said grinning.  
"You need a boyfriend, Annie", Kate said, grinning as well.  
"Nah. Boys are idiots."  
"I know, I've been working with Tony long enough to see that."  
"I'm not an idiot", Tony defended himself.  
"Yeah you are", Kate said, turning to Annie, "Well, this one doesn't prove that he's an idea, but that he falls for like everyone. You remember the transexual person I told you about?"  
"Wait, you told her about that?", Tony asked in shock.  
"Yeah she did. I was sitting on my chair then, after she finished I lied on the floor, laughing."  
"I can't believe it. You're so sneaky!"  
"Well, there's not a lot to do when everybody you've known thinks that you're dead."  
"I don't want to know what else you've told her."  
"She told me like everything. Like...", Annie was thinking, "that you've sent that Honey Dust stuff to Gibbs."  
"Okay, Kate. You're not sneaky. You're pretty mean."  
"What, you were the one to do those crazy stuff."  
"So you're thinking I'm a funny guy."  
"Oh yeah, you are. You see, I can make her laugh, since there are thousand funny stories about you."  
"You say that, as if I never do something good."  
"Oh you do, you're making her smile and laugh, Tony."  
"Thanks, Kate, I appreciate it", Tony said ironically. He wasn't mad at Kate, and she knew that. It was just their typical being, to fight over not important, small stuff. But it was amazing to them. Both of them loved it, that was just a way to say 'I love you', the only problem was that both didn't got the signal. But still, Tony loved it. Even if he wasn't together with her, out of sudden he had seen the whole world so much better, when he realized, that Kate wasn't dead.  
He didn't just feel good to talk to her, or be in the near of her. He felt good, knowing she was in the same world he was. That was enough.  
And he meant what he had said to them. They wouldn't die. He knew it was like a second chance. It was a sign from god. It was a second chance, saying that he had to fight to prove that he deserved that second chance. And if he proved it, he would get the second chance. A second chance to finally tell Kate what he felt. Maybe other people would now think if they even still loved that person they haven't talked to for years. But he knew, that nothing had changed. She hadn't changed. They both grew, yes, but true love doesn't end after one of them dies. True love is forever, and gets through and over anything. Love is immortal. And that was just what he felt.

**Oh, strong feelings coming! :D Don't you miss those arguments between Tony and Kate as well? :'S**


	10. Chapter 10

**NOT owning NCIS, I give you: Chapter 10! Enjoy (Don't forget the popcorn ;-))**

She was more than excited. She hoped not to see him in the bar, because she wasn't an agent! She had no idea what to do if she saw him. What if he saw her first? When you sit in a room and you see someone walking in that room, you automatically see that person (logical, isn't it?). But the one to walk in the room, needs some seconds to see every person. And that was why it was dangerous for Abby. Would he shoot her? She hoped that there were other costumers in the bar.  
She wasn't an easily-scared person or so, but who wasn't scared when knowing that there was a chance of meeting a murderer after walking inside? Alright, those tough guys in the movies wouldn't. But those were movies. This was reality.  
She loved her job, but her job wasn't to do dangerous stuff like that. She remembered what it was like after Kate died. Wait. She wasn't dead. Abby still didn't got used to it. But that was what made her smile now. She wasn't dead. But Ari wanted that. And he had wanted to kill her as well. That was when even her job got dangerous. She had hated that day. Those days. She was down because she had lost her best friend, or she had thought so, and thought she'd never be happy again. And now she found out that her best friend was still alive. Yes, still. But what if this Bruce Walters would kill her now? Abby couldn't let her family down. Even if it was dangerous, but that is what you do for your family. You take risks. And especially: You keep them safe, no matter what. And she really wouldn't be able to be happy again, if Kate was killed today. Or if she was killed.  
So Abby took a deep breath, and opened the door. Her heart slowed down again, when she realized no one was in there. Or did he just hide?  
Abby went behind the bar, and found the kitchen. No one there. Then she found another door. _This must be the door to their house_, she thought, and opened it.  
She was more than glad, when she realized that she was right.  
She heard noises, fighting noises. She knew these two voices. She knew the way these two voices talked to each other. She had missed the way these two voices talked to each other.  
"No", Tony said. They had finished their meal, Annie was cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, after she had decided that this was normal for them. Tony and Kate stood in front of each other, discussing something, something Kate had to admit, she actually missed hearing.  
"You promised not to talk about movies anymore, remember?"  
"This was when I had the plague! And it was only for the rest of the day, remember?"  
"Oh my god", Abby interrupted the two of them, who immediately stopped arguing, "I can't believe this!"  
"Abby", Kate said, walking up to the goth, the two of them hugging.  
Afterwards, Abby smiled, "I didn't thought to every hear you two arguing about something. This is great!"  
"Wait. What are you doing here?", Tony asked serious, "You can't just come here. I mean, I am already here and..."  
"That is Gibbs' plan."  
"Does that mean the others will come too?", Kate asked.  
"They are looking for Bruce Walters right now. They assume him to be in the near of this house. McGee comes from the left, Gibbs from the right, I came from the bar as you can tell, and Ziva is coming from the opposite site", the goth explained.  
"I don't see this ending well", Annie said when joining them.  
"But why are you here, Abby? Did I miss a job change of yours or what?", Kate asked, when she suddenly noticed that Abby should be working in the lab right now.  
"No, no way! Gibbs made me, because Tony here wasn't were he's suppose to be."  
"I think I am, no really, I'm pretty sure I am supposed to be here, taking care of you all. And actually I think it's safe for you to be here, and not in your lab, all by yourself."  
"I'm not scared, Tony."  
"You should be. This is not some murderer, Abby, it's a murderer who plans on killing us, to."

It was scary. He had to admit. You could say that he shouldn't be an agent then, when he was scared. But it wasn't like that usually. It wasn't as if he was chasing some murderer. No, it was a murderer who could become his murderer, he was chasing. And he was all by himself at the moment. Abby was at the bar, Gibbs and Ziva were coming from other directions as well. Good, they were coming closer together by every step they were taking, Plus he was in a car, but still it was scary. He was really glad, that it wasn't night right now, but 2 p.m. That meant the sun stood high, and also a lot of people were on the streets. It wasn't as if they were expecting Bruce to hide somewhere in the street Annie lived. They expected him to be maybe on the opposite site of their street or so. But still, it was scary to be alone, looking for the guy who wants to kill you.

There was no sign of Bruce. Only a few more minutes until Gibbs would've reached Annie's house. He had to find that man, who changed it all. He was smart, Gibbs thought, but it's not that hard to find out what he did. Since all Gibbs had to know was that Bruces DNA was on the weapon, and that he was a suspect on one of the last cases they had with Kate, plus it was one of the cases they didn't close, it wasn't that hard to count two and two together. But still, the guy was crazy. Gibbs explained the whole thing to himself, that Kate had evidence that proved Bruce guilty, and that he didn't want to go to prison, so maybe he had threatened her. But the part that was confusing Gibbs was, was it really Kate who was still alive? Or didn't he notice, that it wasn't Kate on the roof top, but her missing sister? Those questions were still open, but Gibbs didn't knew everything, so he would get the answers later.

Also Ziva had almost reached the house. She drove down the street, which as soon as you exited it, led you to Annie's house. So one thing was for sure: Bruce Walters didn't stand on the opposite site of Annie's house at all. That would mean he stood on the street. But where was he? He wasn't in the bar, Abby would've told Gibbs already, who then would've gave Ziva and McGee the information as well.  
And of course Gibbs and McGee would've informed her, if they found him somewhere. So, no one had found him yet. Hopefully he would show up soon. Ziva hated those toe dippers. And Bruce Walters clearly was one. Killing someone and then doing everything not to come into prison? Saying it was an accident didn't change anything either. Fact was, he had killed someone and it was a crime. He and his first victim might have had a little argument going on, and then started fighting. He might have took some hard item and hit him somewhere. Whatever, people who killed someone "in an accident" actually knew they were about to hit their victim. Yes, they might didn't mean to kill them, but they had no idea of their strongess, and without thinking, they did stupid things they later regretted. Might be normal for human beings, but still, those people pissed her off. This was just a lame excuse, trying not to get into prison. Didn't they know that the police didn't care? They still killed someone. If they don't have themselves under control, they might be better in prison anyways. And even after killing someone, they still were just caring about their own ass. They complained, they tried everything not to get in prison, they wanted to see so much more of the world, they had plans! Their poor families. Those was, what those people cared about. They didn't give the person whose life they had took in an 'accident' any other thoughts. It was all about them. This was stupid.  
But some of them seemed to really give everything not to land in there. This was, when they turned psycho. Cause this need not to go to prison had led Bruce Walters to kill someone. Not in an accident. And he seemed to think that everything was alright if he killed Gibbs team, Kate and Annie. How stupid were some people?

After five minutes Gibbs, McGee and Ziva went into the house. Neither of them had seen Bruce Walters. Where was he? Maybe he wasn't there right now. But maybe he now knew with all certainty that they all knew it.  
It was weird. And suddenly they all were in the living room.  
She did hug them, and they had a little talk. They sat down on the couch and Kate went into the kitchen to clean it up. Annie did clean the dishes, but as always, she didn't put them in the right place. Instead, she just let them lay in the kitchen. Ziva helped her.  
"So", Kate said, "What has changed since I left?"  
"Well, as you can see I joined. And with me, there was another director, too. A female one this time. Jenny. She had something with Gibbs ones, she was killed after working for NCIS a few months. Then we got another director, a male one again", Ziva said.  
"Of course. Because people think that men do the whol director thing better."  
"I really don't care about that, as long as they don't say they can fight better."  
"You mean, as long as they don't say that they are better in anything than women?"  
"Yeah. That's the worse part working with them."  
"Well, I've heard you're from mossad, don't they know you're a good fighter than?"  
"They do, but still. Don't they always feel like they need to protect us? As if I'm some stinking baby who can't do anything but suck on a bottle and cry", Ziva said annoyed by the thought of babies.  
Kate grinned, "Yes, but it's kind of cute, too."  
"He is dead now, you know", Ziva said, looking Kate in the eyes. Kate knew that Ziva was talking about Ari.  
"I know he was your half-brother."  
"How?"  
"Well, I had a lot of time, you know."  
Now Ziva was the one to grin, "I didn't imagine you to be like that."  
"Like what?"  
"Like... positive."  
"I think you're nice, too", Kate said.  
"So. Looks like I have to look for a new job after this is over."  
"If we'll survive this... and no, you won't have to", Kate said, not sure if they would be able to win over that maniac.  
"What? You don't want to get your job back?", Ziva asked surprised.  
"You know, I'd love to. I miss everybody and all that. But still, I can't. I don't want to be the reason why someone has to quit something. I actually think that you're doing a better job than I did."  
"To be honest, I don't think so. Really, I heard you've been doing a great job. The difference between you and me is, that you're more womanlike while I am good at killing."  
"But it helps, huh?"  
"It can."  
"Frankly, if we survive this, I want my life to be a bit more... normal. I mean, first I worked for the president as Secret Service agent, and then I became an NCIS agent. And instead of dying, I should be playing my sisters role, acting dead, and being threatened by some maniac who says he kills me if I tell NCIS what I found out about him, even though that was my job. Really, at Secret Service I almost died, since lots of people were killed, after nothing happened to me and I helped NCIS and broke rules, I got fired, but hired from Gibbs. After I was about to head to NCIS one day, the day I was about to be killed, my sister showed up and switched roles with me. So she died. And now, if I survive this, I'd like to do something were this is not normal."  
"So you want to work as a weatherman?!", Ziva said, trying to understand what Kate meant by that, causing Kate to laugh.  
"I don't know. Whatever it's going to be, now we should try to get this maniac."  
"Well, but since we are seven people, and he is only one, we are better in winning them him. Plus, five of us were or are agents. I know he is crazy, but I know several ways of how to kill someone with a paperclip, I don't think we'll be the ones to lose."  
"Never underestimate someone in fear, Ziva."  
"I don't, but just because he says he'd kill us, doesn't make him the winner yet."

And then the door opened...

**Had to do this, HAHA :D And oh my, it was pretty hard writing the first conversation of Kate and Ziva...**


	11. Chapter 11

**I do NOT own NCIS (Unfortunately this will never change)**

**But yet, I hope you can enjoy another chapter of my fanfiction.**

He stepped in. Everyone was holding their breath. Now it would start. Now it was on. Now it was about it. Everything they did now, everything they said now, it would all mater.  
"I saw you two were inviting some friends over, so I thought we should join, too", Bruce said, dragging Sarah into the house.  
"Sarah", Annie screamed, running to her best friend. Bruce had let go of her, pushing her to Annie.  
"Oh, how cute. But did you two forgot about the promise? Ray broke it, remember? But there was no happy ending for him. Did you really think there would be one for you then?" He said, creeping everything out of them. Kate and Ziva had already went into the living room. Everyone was standing close.  
"He didn't even got to break it", Annie said madly.  
"I didn't want him to do a mistake, you've got to understand."  
"I'm not even trying to understand a psycho's logic."  
"You shouldn't have said that, Annabella", he said, before putting on a mask and opening a bottle.  
"Everybody hold your breath", Gibbs shouted, but of course, they all had to breath after a while.

Waking up, they all find themselves being confined on a chair in the living room.  
"So, let's try it again. You're not stronger than me."  
"Still psycho", Annie said.  
"A what did you just call me?"  
"A psycho. Like I said before."  
"I'm not a psycho, Annabella. I'm just a man, wanting the freedom he deserves."  
"You don't deserve that. I don't care if you killed a marine out of accident. Still he is dead. Because of you. And especially, afterwards you turned into a murderer. You killed Ray. And you want to kill. You are waiting for the day you can finally kill us all, because you think this is when this is going to end", Annie paused, "But it's not. It won't stop, you know. You turned crazy. You're going to kill more people, and even if not, someone would find us. They would find you. Or are you planning on killing everyone in Virginia? Everyone in the US? Everyone in america? Everyone in the world? Would you be happy if you were all alone in this world?"  
"I don't deserve to go to prison."  
"Ha", Ziva shortly said, "I had to meet a couple of murderer, but you belong to the ones who belong into prison the most."  
"You know, mossadlady, you may think you can beat me. But I am not the one who can't get away from that chair."  
Annie and Gibbs both shared the same thought and were doing the same secret action. They both had a pocketknife, with which they tried to cut the rope which was around their hands.  
"I can't believe that you don't see how insane you and your actions are", Tony noticed.  
"I am not insane. I am nice."  
"Nice? What's next, hospitably?"  
"I am. I've let you come here. Because of me you got to see Kate again."  
"Because of you we thought she was dead!"  
"Does that really matter, Anthony?"  
"Sure it does", Tony answered, not able to believe what kind of trash a person could say.  
"But weren't you happy that she got out of your life? I know you're a womanizer, so did it really bother you when she left your life, like all the other ones?"  
Tony couldn't believe what he just heard. He was about to threaten him, but was that what that maniac wanted? Whatever, he wanted to give him a normal, serious and honest answer. "I can't believe you just said that. How would I be happy about that? And she is not some woman I went out, she is Kate. No matter with how many women I went out, Kate is not one of them, and even if, she wouldn't be remained as one. I wasn't happy when I thought she was dead. I was happy when I found out she wasn't. And why am I happy? Because she, just like everybody else in this room, doesn't deserve to die yet. And this time I have a chance of keeping her alive, and I'm not just taking that chance, I'll make it happen."  
"I'm glad to here that you're such a fighter. But what do you wanna do, you're on a chair."  
Bruce had place them into a circle, he stood inside of it. Because a circle was lasting forever, there was no beginning and no end. Just like he thought he and his force was. Too bad he was talking to Tony, standing with his back to Gibbs, Annie and Ziva. Annie had given her pocketknife to Ziva, and the three of them were free, ready to attack.  
"The better question is what you wanna do now", Kate who sat right next to Tony started, before turning to Tony, "Hey Tony, what do you think? Will he let us starve, or will he shoot us? Or take a knife?"  
Tony knew she was just saying that, so Gibbs, Annie and Ziva had more time, so he pretended to think about it. "Hm, well a knife is a bad idea. NCIS would find it. Same goes to the shooting. I think the starving. Maybe he wants us to eat each other?"  
"Ew, that'd be psychotical", Kate said with a disgust look on her face.  
"Yes, but you know ones we had this case where that man always married these women, but then jailed them, well before he had chained them."  
"That was sick. There are such psychos in this world!"  
"I know, right? So", Tony looked to Bruce, "How will you do it?" Tony had this really interested look on his face, and actually they all were interested in the answer.  
"Do you really think, someone would find me", Bruce said, totally sure of himself.  
"We found you, didn't we."  
"And that was a mistake."  
"So it was true, you really do plan on killing the whole world. Interesting."  
"Urgh", Kate said, "I think he doesn't want to kill the whole world. I think he dreams of getting the world domination."  
Tony grinned, "Cute, only problem is that there will never exist a person like that. Well, except for god, I mean, but..."  
"So he's neither planning on killing everyone, nor is the world domination in his interest. What he really wants is being a god, huh", Kate said, as if now everything would make sense.  
Bruce followed the conversation, and didn't understand that they were making fun of him, or that they were helping Gibbs and the others to free themselves. After Ziva had cut off everything, she gave McGee her pocketknife, Annie gave hers to Abby.  
Only Tony and Kate were still chained.  
"I just want to get rid of you, so I don't have to go to prison", Bruce explained himself again.  
"But still, you're plan isn't really good", Tony said, raising his eyebrows.  
"We'll see", Bruce meant.  
"How should we see, when we're dead?" Kate asked, playing dumb.  
"You are all stupid", Bruce then said.  
"Are we", Tony asked in played surprise.  
"And annoying", the crazy man added.  
Meanwhile, Annie and Gibbs were eye communicating, because Annie wasn't all sure about what they would do with Bruce.  
Gibbs eye explained that they would get him in prison. He couldn't explain everything, but if he would've added that there was a chance that they'd kill him, but only if they had to. Cause who knew how strong Bruce was! He was crazy, fighting for his freedom, but that didn't make him violent at all.  
And they were about to find out.  
Because Ziva then interrupted their conversation, through getting up from her chair, taking Bruce's arm and dragging him away from the others.  
Now it was on. And no one knew how it would end...

**Okay, Psychotic stuff going on, huh? Whatever, who will win is to find out in the next chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I do NOT own NCIS and I am very bad at describing a fight. But still, enjoy! :-)**

Everyone knew Ziva was a killing machine.  
Everyone knew Bruce was a psychotic man.  
And for a moment, everything was in slow motion.  
Mossad vs. Psycho.  
Who'd ever win that, everyone was fighting. It kind of had something of the Hunger Games. You fight. Just with one difference; they didn't want to kill everyone but themselves. They only wanted to get Bruce.  
It was a chaotic, huge fight. Bruce was strong. Ziva was so, too. While Annie and Abby had cut Kate and Tony out of their chairs, the others helped Ziva.  
When everyone helped, it was like children in a kindergarten, fighting over some toy.  
And frankly, it sounded easy to win, being on the NCIS side. Eight against one. Well, actually not really eight. And it was more like running after a chicken. Bruce was strong, kicking around himself, which did work. But still, have you ever seen one who could beat up the famous Gibbs? No, this person wasn't born yet, and this person would never exist.  
So, Bruce did knew that he had to try to avoid Gibbs. And that it happened- he ran so hard against Ziva, he was only running away from Gibbs there!, that she fell on the floor, but while falling she fell against Sarah, who then fell, too. So, Bruce thought, one down, seven to go. Or actually four, since Abby and Annie immediately ran over to Ziva and Sarah to help them get up. But while falling, Ziva had hit a table with her head and Sarah hit another hard thing with her hand.  
And where the hell was that McGee guy?  
Well, McGee ran into the bathroom, looking for some water for Ziva and Sarah to cool their wounds. Abby had told him to. She didn't want to leave Annie alone with the two injured girl, and she didn't want to be alone with them, either. Not because of Ziva and Sara, but because of Bruce. Ziva and Sarah were already injured and if Bruce came to them, there was no Ziva to protect them from him. So she sent McGee signs to get some water for the two.  
Meanwhile, Tony and Kate tried to get Bruce, too. With Gibbs they exchanged actions they should do to stop Bruce running.  
And actually the plan did work. But the problem was, that Bruce felt like being bigger than them. Stronger. Better. So, Kate did stand their, and yes, the plan was working out. But then, Bruce kept running.  
He didn't even stop running, when Kate lied on the floor. Tony was about to run to her, but then Bruce came up to him.  
Bruce kept running, kept running. Running in circles. Tony and Gibbs behind him, Bruce saw they were now running in different directions. Gibbs still ran after Bruce, and Tony in the oposite direction.  
And then, Bruce came to the place where he had kicked Kate down. What he didn't know was that she was still lying behind the couch. She was hiding behind there and took Annies skateboard, laid on it, and when she knew that Bruce was running in her direction, not knowing she was there, she rolled in his way, he was falling over her.  
While Gibbs took Bruce's hands on his back and chained them, McGee, Annie and Abby helped Ziva getting up. Annie took a tissue with a bit water on it, and cleaned Ziva's bleeding head. It was just a little wound, and afterwards Abby put a plaster on it. And meanwhile McGee checked on his sisters hand.  
Tony took Kate's arm and helped her getting up, asking her if she was okay.  
"Yeah, thanks. What an idiot", she said, thinking about Bruce.  
Gibbs opened the door, pushing Bruce out. McGee ran after them, opening the cardoor, so Gibbs could put Bruce in there.  
He, McGee and Bruce drove back to NCIS. The others followed them with Ziva's car.

"Oh, what happened to you two?" Ducky asked when Ziva and Sarah first entered the autopsy room, followed by everyone except Gibbs, McGee and Bruce.  
"She fell on a table", Kate explained, getting a confused and at the same time confused look from Ducky and Jimmy.  
"Umm", Ducky said, not knowing what to say.  
"Long story", Tony fastly said.

When they all sat in the bureau area, Kate explained what happened again, Ziva sat there with a cool pack on her head, Sarah with one on her wrist.  
It was a long day, actually a couple of long days, and after sitting together for an hour or so, everyone made their way back home.  
Tony drove Kate and Annie back home, and came inside then, helping them to clean everything up.  
Afterwards the bell rang, it was Sarah to pick up Annie who was about to go to her best friend's house to sleep over.  
After saying goodbye to her aunt, she went to the door, where Tony stood, talking to Sarah a bit.  
"So, because I am going to sleep over at Sarah's, you've gotta stay here with Kate", Annie said.  
Tony didn't really understand, "Wh-what? I mean, not that I mind it or something, but why?"  
Annie didn't have a reason she could tell him, so she was starting with an "Umm...", that thought about a reason. After a few seconds she continued her answer, "The sickness", she simply said.  
"Sickness? Wh-what sickness?" Tony asked, even more confused than before.  
"Well, while I'm away, it is possible for Kate to turn sick. She could fall out of her bed, or ran against the wall. She could have a nightmare, or maybe she suddenly turns blind. Or maybe she suddenly gets the plague", she said, remembering that Tony once had that.  
"You don't get the plague out of nowhere, Annie", Tony said.  
"Whatever. But when you had it, she stayed with you. Even though she knew she could get it, too. She didn't want to leave you. So that's why you're not going to leave her, either."  
"I never meant to."  
"Great, I'll see you guys, tomorrow, I guess", Annie said before she and Sarah left.  
Tony turned to Kate, "I'm gonna stay over tonight."  
"Says who", Kate said, teasing, making Tony grin.  
"Annie. But well, I always wanted to."  
"You haven't changed a bit, you know that?"  
"Oh I do!"  
"Right, some gray strands are on your head", Kate joked.  
"That is not true! I grew up, that's what I meant."  
"So you now had more girlfriends then when we lastly saw each other?"  
"You can be so mean, Kate. You better go to bed."  
"It's ten, Tony."  
"And?"  
"I was about to watch a movie."  
"What movie? Some hot badass movie?"  
"I'm not you, Tony, really", she said walking over to the couch.  
"What? You wanna watch TV without popcorn? Or something to drink?"  
"Yeah I would, but I'm a little scared that you're gonna eat it all."  
"I'm not hoggish, Kate!"  
"Well...", she said, looking at his stomach with a critical look.  
"And not fat, either."  
"Well", she repeated herself. Tony saw a bowl with pocorn in it, and two bottles of water. He went over to the kitchen to get it, and then carried it to the couch table where he placed it. Afterwards he sat next to Kate.  
"You shouldn't say such things, Kate. You know, you may think I'm fat, but it's all muscles."  
"I never said you were fat", Kate said, to tell him that she didn't think that he had muscles.  
"Now that's going to far", he ironically threatened her.  
"What do you wanna do against it?" Kate asked.  
"Well", he said, taking a handfull of popcorn out of the bowl, "I think you should get a punishment for your mean comments!"  
That was the last thing he said, before he threw single popcorns at Kate, who immediately took some popcorn and threw it back.  
And after a few minutes, the room kind of looked like it did before. But this time they weren't running after some maniac, no, they were having a food fight, like they used to do it, and of course they laughed as always.  
"Stop it", she said under her laugh, still throwing food at Tony.  
"No way, you've been a little mean girl, Kate."  
"Because you've been a pig", she laughed.  
Tony came closer to her, leaning over her face, grinning, "A what?"  
"A p-i-g."  
"You shouldn't have said that", he said grinning, still leaning over her.  
"Why not?"  
"Because", he said, looking deep in her eyes, "that is not a very nice thing to say."  
"Oh, poor baby", she said, looking deep in his eyes, as well.  
Tony didn't say a thing. It was silent. Not an awkward silent or so, they were just looking in each others eyes. His face came closer to hers. His lips met hers, and they closed their eyes, feeling as if they weren't in this world anymore.

**ASJKPSJ! OMNCIS! Food fight how they were suppose to end between Tony and Kate.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I know you all want to continue reading (at least I hope so!) so here you go!**

**And still I do NOT own NCIS or its characters.**

Yes, he'd done it. He had kissed her. And it was the most amazing feeling he had ever felt. When the kiss ended, they slowly opened their eyes, still not saying anything.  
After realizing what he just done, he was speechless, not knowing what he should say. Should he leave now? Why did he done it?  
"Umm...", he said, "I should bring the popcorn back in the kitchen", with these words he got up and brought the bowl in the kitchen.  
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Kate followed him. When he placed the bowl on the kitchen bar, he took his hand, so he'd turn around, waiting for him to finally say something.  
They stood close, but their bodies didn't touch. They were looking into each others eyes, Kate let go of his hand, and he knew he had to say something.  
"I... umm... sorry", he said. Well, he didn't knew what he was saying there anyway, so he picked these words.  
"There's nothing to be sorry for", Kate said, knowing he didn't meant to say that.  
"Yeah, well, I just... didn't mean to... you know... uh... kiss you", he stammered.  
"Then why did you?", she asked, kind of knowing that he just lied.  
"Because... uh... well, you just... umm...", he didn't know what to say which made Kate giggle.  
Tony looked at her with a question mark on his face, "What's so funny?"  
"You getting speechless after first kissing someone. Didn't think so", she said, grinning.  
"I'm not speechless", he defended himself.  
"Yeah you are."  
"No I'm not."  
"You are."  
Tony didn't say anything. Instead, he just kept looking in her eyes. Only now he realized, that this wasn't some realistic seeming dream. No, reality was actually being nice. It was really real. Reality really gave him a second chance. And he didn't want to not use it. Of course he didn't mean to rush things, but how could you rush something by kissing someone after you know that person for years.  
He felt that Kate was asking herself if the reason for the kiss was, that that was the way he took her sudden comeback.  
Without thinking, so many memories got in his head.  
_Kate being close to kill Ari in autopsy._  
_Kate, or better her sister, being shot by him on a roof. _  
_Falling on her back, with that bleeding hole in her head._  
_He was covered with that blood, too. _  
_He then fastly looked to the other roof to see Ari._  
_Maybe not to see Ari, more because he was close to tears seeing 'Kate', because he was close to vomit there._  
_He remembered picturing her._  
_He remembered being in autopsy with McGee._  
_How they looked at her. How he would've done everything to get her back to life. _  
_He was about to cry, but he couldn't. Not in front of McGee._  
_Not in front of anybody._  
_He couldn't sleep that night. His eyes were red. His eyes were open. When he closed them, he had to open them again because he couldn't sleep. When he opened them, he thought to see Kate, so he blinked. But then, she was away again._  
_He remembered her funeral. _  
_He was looking at her casket, critical. _He looked critical, because he was hating himself in this moment so much. So many things he never said, so many things he never did.  
Tony was always saying so much. He was telling her so much, things she didn't had to hear in her life! Why did he never tell her those three words? Why was he often close to her, sometimes their faces were only a few inches apart. Why didn't he never kissed them?  
His heart was broken. And now, looking in her eyes, he couldn't believe that this wasn't one of his Kate dreams. It was all real.  
And then he felt tears coming up. Not like a waterfall or so, just a bit coming up.  
He pulled his arms around her neck, and she pulled her arms around his waist.  
"I missed you", he whispered. These three words broke her heart. She felt the pain, tears coming up and rolling down.  
"I missed you, too. I'm so sorry", she whispered back.  
"There's nothing to be sorry", he said, rubbing her back.  
"I'm sorry for letting you wait so long. I'm sorry for making you all think that I was dead."  
"It's not your fault. The waiting was worth it."  
"But it would've been better if this all happened years ago!"  
"Maybe, but maybe it wouldn't have worked out and then you'd really be dead by now."  
"I guess we'll never find out", she said, slowly getting out of their hug, but still standing really close to Tony.  
"I love you", he suddenly said, looking deep in her eyes again.  
She had to process this information.  
"What?" She then asked, her heart beating fast.  
"I umm...", suddenly he, again, felt like he didn't know how to speak english, "I do."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah."  
"Since... since when?"  
"I don't know. I mean I always liked you, and my feelings just... grew."  
Now Kate was the one to be speechless, making Tony nervous.  
"Could you maybe say something?" He said nervously.  
She couldn't say anything. It felt as if her tongue was cut off. And since there were plenty ways to communicate with your lips, she used another. Not with sounds, not with word forming. Her lips kissed his. Now she couldn't believe that she wasn't dead, either. She just felt as if she was in heaven. They put their arms around each other, leaning more in the kiss.  
Tony did kiss a lot of people. 99.9% of it were women, and one person was a transsexual one. He had kissed younger, and older ones. Smaller and taller. Thinner and ticker. Women from other countries as well. But never, never ever, had he kissed someone and felt so... good.  
This wasn't something which he did to end up in bed. This was something he did of feelings.  
The kiss lasted longer than their first one, and afterwards they, again, first didn't say anything.  
"I love you, too, Tony", she low-voiced said.

The next morning he got up really early and to his luck, Kate laid next to him. It really wasn't a dream.  
He watched her sleeping for awhile. She smiled. She dreamt. After a few minutes he got up and made breakfast.  
Not having a pj with him, he had to sleep in his boxershorts and undershirt.  
Before he made breakfast, he got into his pants and put his shirt on, and a suit coat over it.  
When he was done making breakfast, Kate walked in, yawning.  
Looking at him, she looked down at her, "Man, now I feel underdressed."  
"But still pretty."  
"Yeah, yeah", she said with disbelieve.  
"No, I'm serious."  
"And I'm hungry", she said before seeing the done breakfast table, "wow, I had no idea that you're a gentleman", she added, teasing.  
"Wow, that hit me, Katie."  
"Oh, I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, please don't hate me now, I couldn't continue living then", she said dramatically ironic.  
"You're insane."  
After breakfast and after both made themselves ready in the bathrooms, they sat in front of the TV, watching some tv show.  
Tony had one of his arms around her neck, she kuddled herself at him.  
"I don't even know why I deserve this chance", Tony said.  
"What chance?"  
"Another chance to tell you what I feel."  
Kate smiled, "You deserve it because you're a good guy."  
"Me? You've got to be kidding."  
"No, I'm serious here. And I'm not talking about your job here, I'm talking about you. You're not a killer, nor are you some pathetic guy."  
"You called me a pig. Not just yesterday, but a few years ago, too!"  
"Because you are. But that's just your charm."  
"But not everyone who doesn't kill is a good guy."  
"No, but you are good. You're charming, funny, and you tread women pretty good."  
"I do?"  
"Yes, you do. Well yes, you do flirt a lot, but... that doesn't make you a bad boy."  
"Wow, now I'm hurt. I always felt like one, and now you just say that, wow, Kate, wow", Tony said joking.  
"Or maybe you just got another chance because there'd be no one else in this world to actually go out with you."  
"You're being mean again, Kate."  
They were about to kiss again, but of course something had to ruin the moment. Tony took his vibrating cell phone from the table and answered it.  
"Yeah?"  
"New case is on", Gibbs told him, giving him the adress before hanging up.  
Tony put his cell phone in his pocket, and looked at Kate with a sad face, "Gotta go."  
"Another case?"  
Tony nodded, "Yeah. Why are there so many murderers killing marines?"  
Kate laughed, "Get the murderer and ask him."  
"Alright", he said before kissing her cheek.  
"I'll call you later."  
"What if I don't answer?"  
"Then I'll come here with food and another fight is on."  
"Well then I better answer. Good luck with the case."  
"Thanks".

"Hey, what happened to him?" Tony asked when entering the crime scene, and seeing the victim.  
"We don't know yet. He didn't have an ID with him, and his face is clearly damaged", Ziva explained.  
"Where's Gibbs?"  
"Checking the setting", Ziva said. Tony, McGee and Ziva stood in front of the body, which lay on a huge field.  
"Why are all the bodies laying outside in the nature now? Did I miss something?" Tony asked.  
"Get the murderer and ask him", Ziva said, making Tony smirk because that was the exact same phrase Kate had earlier said to him when he asked her why there are so many murderers.  
"What's so funny?" McGee asked.  
"Nothing, Probie", Tony said.  
"Did we miss something?" Ziva asked.  
"We should check if there is any evidence around the body", Tony said, avoiding the question, to torture them.

And also Kate wouldn't immediately tell everybody about their kisses. Especially because she wouldn't know how to explain it at all.  
She could say that they kissed, she could tell that they told each other what they really felt. But then someone would probably ask what now. If they were going out, or if they were together now. She didn't want to rush things, she wanted to give it time, and so wanted Tony.  
"Where's Tony?" Annie asked when she came home. Kate sat on the couch watching TV.  
"He had to work."  
"So, how was your sleep over?" Annie asked, trying to get some information.  
"Good", Kate replied, not taking her eyes off the tv.  
"What did you guys do?"  
"Married", she ironically said.  
"Ha, ha."  
"What else would you want to hear?"  
Annie didn't reply to that at first, but then said, "Well maybe you... well... talked?!"  
Suddenly their was a sound coming out of the kitchen.  
"Dishes are done", Kate said grinning and walked into the kitchen.

**Tada... What do you say about that? :-) **


	14. Chapter 14

**I do NOT own NCIS that's all I have to say ;-)**

A day later, Annie went on vacation with Sarah. Kate promised them, that they could be going wherever they wanted, as soon as Bruce wasn't free anymore. They weren't going on an expensive trip or far away. It was LA, but well, a lot things to do there. It sounded fun.  
Also it gave Kate and Tony the chance, to hang out in privacy.  
"So", she said as the two of them were sitting in the living-room, eating chinese food (because that was the food they used to eat at NCIS, it was kind of their food), "when will someone go interrogate Bruce?"  
"Gibbs is on it tomorrow."  
"Why not now?"  
"Because Gibbs wants to do the interrogation in a short time, you know Gibbs. And afterwards he wants to bring Bruce to the judgment immediately. And if he did it now, he wouldn't be able to catch a judge. You know 'em, never work pretty late."  
"That's true."  
"But whatever. You'll be forever safe in a couple of hours", Tony said making Kate smile.

Tony slept at Kate's, he wanted to sleep every night at Kate's, at least til Annie would be back.  
When he arrived in the morning, he almost missed the interrogation.  
Watching Gibbs and Bruce from the watcher room with Ziva, they already knew that whatever Bruce would've said, no one could beat Gibbs, which meant that he would come into jail anyways. But Bruce admitted both murders pretty fast. All Gibbs and he were now talking about, were the reasons.  
Not taking her eyes from Bruce, Ziva said "When I talked to Kate, she said she didn't want her job back."  
Tony looked at her, "Really?" He asked not completly understanding.  
"Yeah, well she said she wanted to have a not so crazy and especially dangerous job and life situation for once. And well, she owns the bar which is on her house, so I don't think she would quit that since I don't see anyone buying it from her."  
"Hm", Tony said, thinking about it. Well it all did make sense, but still he didn't understand why Kate wouldn't really want to work with Gibbs team again. Just the way she used to. Because then everything could go back to normal. Well... besides the fact that Tony and she had something going on. But still...  
And as if reading his mind, Ziva added "I think she would like everything to be the way it was, but... frankly that's never possible. Things change."  
"I know..."

"It's all over now", Tony said grinning when Kate opened the door.  
Kate had made them pasta, and while they were eating, Kate noticed something. "You've been pretty calm today. Everything okay?"  
"I am? No, no... everything's fine", Tony simply said, but Kate just looked at him.  
"No, it's not. What is it?"  
Tony looked at her. "Ziva told me that you don't want to work at NCIS again."  
It took a few seconds until Kate answered, "Yeah. I mean I love working there, you know? It's just that now that everything with Bruce is over I can do whatever I want. Annie is going to college in a few months, and in the bar you do bring in a lot."  
"I thought so. It's just that... For a moment I thought that everything would be the way it was before Ari came. And all the other people."  
"But that's impossible. And maybe it's better that way. Plus, it's not like it's been twenty years since my NCIS days. And frankly, I wouldn't want everything to be the way it used to be."  
Tony looked at her, his face showing that he needed an explanation.  
Kate took his head, "I mean with you and me."  
Tony smiled, "That's good."  
"Also, I wouldn't want to kick someone out, saying that it was my job first."  
"So you like Ziva?"  
"Well I don't really know her, but... she seems nice."  
Tony looked at her with that Oh-no expression, "Oh no, what did she tell you?"  
Kate grinned, "You'll never know", and then winked at him.  
"That reminds me of your tat. You sure I'll never get to see it?"  
Kate rolled her eyes, "You're pathetic."  
"No, just curious."  
"Well then... no."  
"Oh, c'mon, Kate."  
"No."  
"Yes."  
"Never.  
"Now."  
"No."  
"Yes."  
"Shut it, Tony!"  
"No."  
"Yes."  
"No."  
"Yes."  
"Okay, we should stop that."  
"No."  
Tony laughed. Also Kate had to laugh.  
When they were done eating, and brought everything in the kitchen, and after they were done cleaning everything, they stood in the kitchen, kissing.

The next day, the team continued working on their new case.  
And like everybody knows, Tony is bad at hiding when he'd spend the night at a female's place.  
"Hey, McGee", Ziva whispered to McGee who then looked at her so she continued with his full attention, "is Tony having a new girlfriend?"  
"Umm... not that I know, why?"  
"He has that big smile on his face again."  
"Well if you're right, he'll tell us soon, you know him."  
"HEY! When you're done with your coffee party you could get back to work", Gibbs yelled while walking pass Ziva and McGee. And immediately the two of them stood straight, continuing their work.  
The team was suppose to look for a bullet, the victim was shot three times in the heart area, before he died.  
Gibbs walked in Tony's direction, when he arrived Tony, he stopped, leaning to Tony's ear and saying, "You know rule twelve doesn't go for you two anymore", then he continued walking.  
Tony looked after his boss, wondering why he knew it. Of course Gibbs always knew everything, but still...  
"Found something", Tony said when looking on the ground again. Ziva, McGee and Gibbs came over to him.  
"I think it's a... tissue... used one", Tony said with a disgust look on his face.  
"Bag it", Gibbs said.

Back at NCIS, Tony had to bring Abby the tissue.  
"Interesting", Abby said, checking the tissue.  
"I'd more go with the word _disgusting_."  
"How far was it from were the body lied?"  
"I don't know, I think three meters away."  
"And you haven't found it two days ago, when you found the body?"  
"No, but maybe it was further away and flew there because of the wind."  
"But it could still be from the body."  
Gibbs walked in, "You found something?"  
"No, not really. Tony and I were just thinking why you haven't found it earlier."  
"And, what are you thinking?"  
"The wind", Tony said, "But because it was in the middle of the field, and as you know the field is pretty huge, we think it might be from the murderer."  
"Might be is no use, Tony."  
"But it's better than might _not_ be something", Tony replied, making Gibbs grin.  
"Hey you guys...", Abby interrupted.  
"Yeah, Abs?"  
"Well this tissue belongs to a Lieutenant Knight who had a cold."  
"So either the victim had a cold, or the murderer", Tony added.  
"And one of them was Lieutenant Knight. I'll go to Ducky, maybe he found something new yet, Tony you'll get information about Lieutenant Knight. Tell Ziva and McGee to find his friends or boss to get more information."  
"On it boss", with that, both, Tony and Gibbs, left Abby alone.  
Before either of them got in an elevator, Tony stopped Gibbs, "How do you know?"  
"Know what?"  
"Well you know..."  
Gibbs knew what Tony meant, "My gut", he said before getting in the elevator. Tony stood in front of it, speechless. When the doors were about to close, Gibbs stopped them and added, "I'd wish you two good luck, but I don't see the need of it", then the doors closed and Gibbs drove to Ducky. Tony still stood there for a few seconds, before taking the other elevator to get up to Ziva and McGee to tell them what to do.  
Then Tony did what he was told do, either.  
Ziva and McGee had nothing that could tell them who his friends or his boss were, so they decided to walk to the navy base and ask people if they knew him.  
After Ziva and McGee left, Tony looked for the Lieutenant, where he lived, and so on. A profile and a picture showed up on the TV.  
Nothing special about that guy. Just some usual, random man who lived alone, didn't do anything criminal and he joined the navy with nineteen.  
Tony also looked for the Lieutenants adress, but then saw that the Lietenant moved out three days ago, and afterwards he didn't state his adress.  
Afterwards there was nothing suspicious or weird, so hee decided to wait for McGee and Ziva to come back, so that they could drive to the adress.  
And while waiting, he decided to give Kate a call. After a few minutes of talking with her, he told her that Gibbs knew, but that he didn't even tell him.  
"Well, that's Gibbs. Always knowing everything", she then said.  
"I know, but still... it's scary."  
He heard Kate's laugh through the phone. That beautiful laugh.  
"Don't worry about it, Tony. You should get back to work."  
"Geez, you sound like you don't wanna talk to me."  
"Well, you'll never know what I want."  
"I already do."  
"Nope."  
"Yes, right now you wanna talk to me, but you don't want me to think that you can't go through the day without seeing me."  
"That's exactly it", she replied ironically.  
"You're awful", he said grinning.  
"Whatever, I gotta go."  
"To see me?" Tony asked smiling.  
"No, to the bar, some of us have to work."  
"So do I, but I thought I'd improve your day."  
"By stopping me to make money?"  
"You ruined it again", he said with a played disappointed voice.  
"I'm so sorry", she said ironically.  
"You better be."  
"Or not... well, gotta go now."  
"Alright", he said smiling.  
After hanging up, Tony didn't noticed that Ziva and McGee stood next to him, listening to about one minute of the phone call.  
"Who was that", Ziva asked, knowing that Tony didn't noticed them. Trough her voice, he frightened looked at the two agents, "Since when are you guys here?"  
"A minute or so... it didn't sound like a job call", Ziva answered.  
Tony shook his head and changed the subject, "Have you found someone?"  
"Yes, but they said that he quit last week", McGee said.  
"And I found an adress of him, but he moved out three days ago, no new adress. But still, we should go to his old one."  
"I'll go to Abby. Maybe we missed something in his clothes", Ziva said.

Tony and McGee went to the apartment, checked everything out and looked around. They didn't expect to find anything since the Lieutenant moved out three days ago, but when they asked the apartment manager for the keys, the young man had no idea that the lieutenant moved out. And walking in the apartment, there was so sign for a move-out. The apartment was filled with furniture and personal things. The brush in the bathroom was recently used and the fridge was halfway filled.  
"Doesn't look like someone recently moved out of here«, Tony said when looking what was in the shelves which stood in the living room.  
"But why did he quit is job last week then?"  
"Maybe he didn't want to be a marine again."  
"And you think someone killed him because he wanted to do something else than being a Lieutenant?"  
"I didn't say so, Probie. I just said he didn't want to be a marine again."  
"We should check if there's a sign for an interest of him", McGee just answered.  
Tony nodded and the two men looked around.  
"Nothing. Just nothing", Tony said after two minutes.  
"Maybe something in his computer", McGee offered.  
"Well, where is his computer?"  
"I don't know, maybe in some bag?"  
But there was no computer.  
"Okay, every normal person, and of course all the nerds, are owning a computer. What person does not have a computer nowadays?" Tony asked confused.  
"Well... Gibbs doesn't have a computer, either. And he's been a marine, too", McGee replied.  
"Yeah, but c'mon. Gibbs is older, that wasn't the time. But in marine's house I've been was a computer. Even though it was the oldest one in history. But there's always been one!"  
"Maybe he hid it?"  
"But not in his apartment."  
"Let's go back, maybe Ziva found something."

"No computer", Kate repeated, not completely sure whether she understood Tony right.  
"At least we couldn't find one. I'm sure he has one. If not he's crazy!"  
Kate grinned at Tonys comment, "Weird case."  
"Yeah... but", Tony put his arm around her neck, laying it on the top of the couch, "let's not talk about work."  
The two of them just looked into each others eyes.  
Why didn't this happen before?  
But maybe it was better. If they were together, and this whole _pretending to be dead_ thing would've happened then, Tonys world seriously would've ended.  
It was all good. Better late than never, right? Tony definitely would've prefered to have these moments with Kate before, but now he appreciated them more.  
And maybe it wouldn't have worked out between the two of them then.  
He still haven't told McGee, Abby, Ducky, Palmer or Ziva (or officially told Gibbs) that he and Kate had something, but that was the way he wanted it to be.  
They had contact again since a couple of days and he still couldn't believe that she was still alive. Also, he wanted to give them as much time for their relationship to grow as needed. It was definitely a huge step for them to know that they loved each other, but they knew each other for so many years, that it was about time to finally say that.  
And also, they did knew each other very good. They knew their habits, their eye color, the way they handled certain situations.  
So what was it, that kept them from being together officially?  
Probably just the fact that they stayed in contact again since a couple of weeks, which meant that he knew she was alive since a couple of weeks. That was a huge change in his life. And also for her it was different. But good. It was good for both. But yet, it wasn't some change like a different hairstyle, or a move in another town.  
Maybe a move was big, too, but still not as big as their situation.  
Their was still a lot to do.

**Don't think it's over yet there's a lot more to come, you'll see :-)**


	15. Chapter 15

**I do NOT own NCIS or its characters. Hope you enjoy this chapter :-)**

"Okay, what is up with you?" Ziva asked, watching Tony sitting in front of his computer, smiling big time. But as soon as he asked and he noticed that she and McGee looked at him, his smile faded.  
"What's wrong with smiling?"  
"Nothing. Just curious why you do. I mean you've done that the entire week", she noticed.  
"I'm just having a great week, okay?"  
"But how? We're working on this crazy case the whole time, how can your week be great?"  
"I'm having a private life, Ziva."  
"Oh really? But how can it be private, when you're always telling us everything about it?"  
"Not everytime! See, right now I'm not telling you what's going on."  
"You're such an idiot, Tony", Ziva stated, but Tony ignored her comment.  
"What do we have", Gibbs interrupted their conversation.  
"A dead Lieutenant who quit his job last week, who said he moved out but didn't and who was found in the middle of nowhere", Tony explained.  
"Who said that he moved out?"  
"He quit his post address. No one said that, but it sounds logical. He quit is job and wanted to start all over so he quit his address. Maybe he was about to move out."  
"Yeah, how about you ask some friends?"  
"Ziva and I went to his workmates, but no one knew anything except that he quit without any reasons", McGee answered his boss.  
"When did he quit his post address?"  
"Three days ago", Tony stated.  
"Find out if there is anything at the crime scene that proves that there was someone else. Figure out if the Lieutenant died there. I'll go to Ducky."

In the next week, the case hadn't gone any further. On the private site of the story, Annie came back from her vacation with Sarah. Tony and Kate still hadn't told anyone about them, the only people to know were Gibbs, who knew it because he was Gibbs, and Annie, who just noticed things like that. Also, Tony helped Kate and Annie plan the funeral. Well, it wasn't like planning a wedding or so, but they did have to get a reservation for the church and all that stuff. Plus, Ray was a marine which meant it was full of marines there. Annie still didn't know what song she should play in the church. She knew Ray had wanted her to do so, and she wanted to do that, too, since he was the one to teach her how to play the piano. But she was pretty upset since she didn't know which exact song to play.  
Kate and Tony, who were in the living-room, could hear the song pieces through the wall and Kate wanted to go look for her, but Tony said he'd do it.  
Tony knocked on the door, before slowly opening it. After checking if it was okay to come in, he stepped in and stood next to the piano.  
"You're playing in the church?"  
Annie nodded, "Ray tought me and gave me lessons since I was five. But I can't figure what song to play."  
"Why? There must be one special song."  
"No... at first I just played easy songs - mostly kids songs. When I was nine I started playing harder songs, but they aren't songs I wanna play there. And since I was fourteen I was mostly learning how to play songs which I heard on the radio so I could sing along."  
"Then why don't you sing there?"  
"I could. But there's no song either."  
Tony took a seat and sat next to her at the piano.  
"You don't have to find the perfect song. He'd be happy as long as you play one anyway."  
Tears started forming in her eyes. "I know, but... I want to."  
Tony placed his hand on her back, rubbing it softly, "I know it's hard. But why don't you just sit somewhere and think if there is a song he loved to hear the most. Or maybe you've written a song for him?"  
"For him?" Annie looked at Tony, grinning. "I think if I ever write a song, it'd be about someone I love. A guy, you know?"  
Tony smiled. "You could write one about how grateful you've been for having him."  
"That'd sound pretty desperate."  
"Aren't you?" Tony teased her a bit to make her smile, and it worked.  
"No. I'm sad, yes. But I'm not desperate."  
"Then you should fall in love and write a song about that guy."  
"What does that have to do with finding a song for the funeral?"  
"I think he'd be happy if you were in love."  
"I don't think I'm gonna fall in love in less than a week, Tony. You're insane", she laughed.  
Tony grinned, "People say that... but hey, I was just trying to help you."  
Annie nodded. But yet, it didn't help her. She wanted to find a good song. Not one which sounded completely depressing, but she couldn't play a happy song either. It was hard. She never thought that if she'd ever died, other people would have a lot to do. But they did. They had to play a funeral and buy clothes. And the most horrible part about it - it made people cry and be sad.  
"I wasn't able to be on my mom's funeral", she said now serious, staring at her piano.  
Tony nodded, of course not, he thought, we all thought it was Kate.  
"Would you've went there if you were able?" Annie thought about the question for a few seconds before shaking her head. "I don't think so. You know it's sad. In all the years I lived with my mom I never got a chance to meet her. Really meet her. She's been crazy sad about my dad. It's love, yes. But she wasn't herself. I wish I could've been able to do fun things with her. Going to the movies, going shopping. I wish I knew who her favorite author was, or what her favorite tv show was. But I'll never know."  
Tony laid his arm around her and nodded. "My mom died when I was eight. My dad was always drunk", he paused. "We sometimes think that others parents are different. That other kids had different relationships to them or that they got to know them better. Well maybe we both didn't get to meet the true personalities of our parents. All we can do is be better parents. But in the end, their will be someone you love and someone who teaches you something. Someone who is there for you. Not a replacement for them. But someone who is some kind of idol or hero for you. Someone you respect, maybe fear. Someone you look up to."  
"It's weird", Annie suddenly said with a small smile on her lips.  
"What?" Tony said, smiling about her smile.  
"In all the years I've seen Kate as my mom but I've never really seen Ray as my dad. More like a brother."  
"Really? Why not your dad?"  
"I couldn't. Well in the beginning he was just someone, then a closer friends and then someone who tought me lots of things but I think I saw him more as a brother. Or let's say a cool step-dad. But I couldn't because since I came to Kate, she always told me stories about her time at NCIS. She told me a lot about you and that's how I felt like knowing all of you and I felt as if she wasn't talking about some colleague, but someone really close. I think to me you're more a dad."  
"Really?" Tony was surprised, a good surprise, but one he didn't see coming. "You just heard stories of me."  
"I know, and I always found it weird, too. But it wasn't a normal bed story. It wasn't fiction. It was real. It was as if this family got teared apart, which it did. And I felt like my dad was just... been taking away from me. But it's probably because I wouldn't imagine Ray and Kate to be my parents because that'd mean that they'd be together or so, but they just saw each other as good friends. Ray supported us but mostly he was away, well he was a marine. Kate and Ray never had anything so it'd be weird to make him a father figure."  
"I appreciate that, Annie", Tony just said, hugging her. It was unexpected, yes, but in a good way again. He liked that. He liked how someone really close to Kate liked him, too. It was important to him. And he liked Annie so he was happy how she felt about him in return.

That's pretty bad", Kate said after hearing about the case.  
"I know. And Ziva and McGee heard the end of our phone call last week. They're getting close of finding out about me and you", Tony answered.  
The two of them were sitting on Kates couch and relaxed a bit.  
"You know... maybe we should make it official."  
When Kate said those words, he looked at her. There was no way he'd deny his feelings for her anymore, but yet they were in the beginning of their relationship. Yes, they've been working together for two years, it wasn't as if he had met her the first time when he'd seen her two weeks ago after years. But when they were workmates, none of them considered a relationship with the other - well they did, but they weren't ready for that back then. And now, after years, she showed up again, back in his life. It didn't feel as if she was ever gone but he knew that she once was. And then they suddenly had something going on since two weeks. He wouldn't mind telling anyone, but it was a huge change.  
"What?" He just said in shock. It wasn't a bad shock, he'd really love to officially say that they were together. Boyfriend and girlfriend. But still - what if it didn't work out? They've been together for a week now.  
"I said, we could make it official. You know.. just telling everyone."  
"But... we're dating since a week."  
Kate looked at him, her smile faded. He didn't regret his words at all, but he knew he shouldn't have said that.  
"Katie...", he wrapped an arm around her to cheer her up, "I love you. It's not like I wanna hide my feelings, but we're at the beginning of our relationship, I thought we'd give us some time. I just don't wanna rush anything."  
"Rush anything?" Kate stood up, looking at him in half shock. Tony stood up at well to face her better before she continued talking, "We've met each other nine damn years ago, Tony. I know you, you know me. And in the last seven years I've been hiding and pretending to be someone I'm not. I don't wanna hide anymore, okay? I finally wanna be open and tell my friends what I do, what I love, who I love. We've been waiting for... us since about nine years. That's not a rush, Tony. And usually you don't feel like rushing would be something bad, do you?"  
"But this time it's different!"  
"It's not different, Tony. I know we've been completely honest with our feelings since two weeks but deep down inside we've known it the whole time, right? And the others knew it, too. But maybe Bruce was right with one thing. I was just another woman in your life."  
"Oh c'mon, we both know that's a lie. You're not just..."  
Kate interrupted him, "Just leave it, okay? I accept your decisions but you have to accept mine, too. I'm sick of hiding anything and when you can't be a part of an unhidden life than I'm gonna live it without you."  
"But..."  
"No, Tony! Just leave", Kate said before going out of the living-room, into the bar to start her work.  
Tony still stood in the middle of the room for plenty of seconds before realizing what just happened.

**Did you see that coming? No? Well... then now you do. Hope you wanna continue reading :-)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hope you'll like it. I do NOT own NCIS (but maybe one day I will ;-))**

"He is being really quite lately, McGee. What do you think is going on?" Ziva asked after Tony left with Gibbs.  
McGee looked up, over to her desk. "I don't know."  
"Last week he was extremely happy and now extremely quiet."  
"Last week we catched him on this phone call... I guess he has another ex-girlfriend."  
"Yes, but he never reacted so emotionally about that", Ziva stated, wondering what was going on with Tony. The entire day, it was a pretty monday with sun and good weather, Tony hadn't said more than he needed to and didn't make any stupid jokes or said annoying phrased.

Tony felt bad. How could that happen? He thought that with her being 'back' everything would be the way it was supposed to be. But it wasn't. Instead, they had a fight after a week and everything seemed lost. Of course he could go apologize, but she didn't understand him in the first place. Would Kate understand him now? Or even listen? Maybe she didn't want to. It was all so complicated! He couldn't concentrate on the case at all; he didn't show it though, or tried at least, but still he wasn't really listening. Instead he was asking himself questions. Was this the end for them? Would that mean that they were supposed to try to date but would fastly notice that they weren't meant to be? No, they were meant to be. Tony was all sure of that. They just had a different mind about something. That was normal, right? The only question was, if they could work things out.

The funeral. She had to focuse on that now. She didn't want to waste her thoughts on Tony. She wasn't mad at him at all. She just didn't get how she thought that they would live happily ever after. And their problem wasn't what had happened in the past, how long they've been apart, it was easily them. It was them, right? She didn't know. But she didn't know anything lately.  
Except that she missed him - again.  
She had missed him all the years and now were they met again, something came between them. Kate started thinking that it was her fault. Not at all, but hers as well as Tonys. Or was it more her fault?  
She'd talk to him. But she knew that working at NCIS no one knew when you'd go home or when you'd come. Mostly anyways. And she didn't want to go to his apartment with the possibility to have to wait for him there. Not that she didn't want to seem desperate, but because she wouldn't know what to say. What would be different this time? Yes, she could be more easy-going about his decision not making anything official yet, not rushing anything yet. But then again, she still wouldn't be that happy about that. Why did it have to be so complicated?

"Gibbs?"  
"Yeah", Gibbs said, turning to the desk of Ziva where the Israeli sat in. They'd been alone since a couple of seconds, McGee and Tony had left to go back to the crime scene.  
"What's up with Tony lately?"  
"What do you mean?" Of course he did know what she was talking about but Gibbs didn't seem to bother telling her, since it wasn't their business and then again, he wasn't sure about it. He could only guess that it had something to do with Kate.  
"Last week Tony has been extremely happy and this week he is extremely sad and quiet. You must know what is going on", Ziva stated, knowing that Gibbs and Tony knew each other so long and that Gibbs basically knew everything about Tony as if Tony was his son.  
"You gotta ask him."  
"So you know what is going on."  
"Maybe."  
"But you do not want to tell me about it."  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
"It's like I said, you gotta ask him."  
Ziva was about to say something but Abby showed up. Not because of the case, but because also she was wondering about Tony.  
"Hey Gibbs, do you know what's up with Tony lately?"  
"He won't tell you", Ziva answered for him.  
"Why not?" Abby asked, looking to Gibbs.  
"Because I'm not sure what's going on. You have to ask him, but if you ask me - when time has arrived he'll tell you."  
Sometimes it was annoying how Gibbs was someone you can trust. Abby was too curious. But she did respect it and was glad that Gibbs could keep secrets that well. She wouldn't go ask Tony, that's why she came to Gibbs in the first place, but she wanted to know what was going on because she cared for him. And she was worried, too. And when she arrived at her lab again, she suddenly got a good thought which made her smile - maybe Kate knew what was going on. She still needed to get used to that whole _Kate is still alive_ thing, but it was a good thing to get used to.

At the crime scene, McGee noticed more and more how bad Tony felt.  
"Everything okay?" McGee said, sitting next to Tony who sat on the grass.  
Tony said nothing, instead he kept looking straight and just nodded lightly.  
"You sure?" No reaction again. McGee knew that Tony didn't want to talk about it, so he left him alone, continuing his work at the crime scene.  
Tony thought, again. He didn't feel good the entire time, but he didn't want to stay home. He didn't want them to notice. He just wanted to be left alone and think about it. He just wanted everything to be good again. So he could see that nice, unique smile of Kates. He could feel her lips again and they could laugh again. Were all those novels and love stories fake? Did they exist to make people think that something like happy endings did exist? Or was it actually possible to have a happy ending. If so, he'd like it to come fast. And especially to live happily ever after.

Her phone rang at half past eleven p.m. She immediately recognized Abbys home number, even though she liked the goth, she was hoping it was Tony calling her.  
"Hey Abby, what makes you calling me?" She said, faking a smile, even though Abby wasn't able to see it.  
"Hey Kate. Isn't it great how you're still there? And not in heaven I mean. I missed you. And I appreciate your existence", Abby started, making Kate giggle for the first time the entire days.  
"You called me to hold a speech?"  
"Not quite. But I wanted to tell you that. Since we thought you were dead we all noticed how important it is, to tell the people around us how we feel about them."  
"Well then, I missed you, too. I missed everyone. If you asked me, I'd turn the clock back if I could. But it's too late now."  
"Maybe it'll never be the same as before, but who said it was bad?"  
"I don't think it's bad, but I'd love to haven't been away from you all for years and I wish I didn't have to pretend to be dead, making you all sad."  
"It wasn't your decision. Of course, I would've loved you not to pretend so, but it is how it is, right?"  
Kate smiled and both were silent for a few seconds before Kate finally asked, "Why are you calling?"  
"Oh yeah right," Abby seemed to had forget about the fact that there was an actual reason she'd called but then she knew it again, "Well... you and Tony are in contact again, right?"  
Kate closed her eyes for a few seconds to calm her nerves. She nodded and then said "Yes."  
"He's been totally down the entire week and I was wondering if you knew what's going on?"  
"Well... I... I haven't talked to him the entire week to be honest so I don't know. But... as soon as I do I'll give you a call", Kate lied, wishing Abby hadn't called.  
"Okay. Thank you. Hey, by the way, when is the funeral of Ray?"  
"This sunday. Will you come?"  
"Sure", Abby smiled, "What about the others?"  
"I hope you all come. It'd be a pleasure."  
The two friends continued their call a few more minutes before hanging up, Abby in full excitement, and of course sympathy for the loss, for the funeral.

Later that day, eleven p.m., everyone except for Gibbs and Tony had left.  
Gibbs looked over to Tony who looked into nowhere. Gibbs shortly thought before rolling over to Tonys desk with his chair.  
"Everyone is worried about you", Gibbs started with a low voice.  
Tony still looked out of the windows. He knew that talking might help, especially with Gibbs. Because he then wouldn't need to explain every detail. And because he could trust him. And Tony knew that he would always get good advice from his boss. So after a few seconds of thinking, he turned around with his chair, facing Gibbs. All that was between them was Tonys desk.  
"I'm okay", Tony said low-voiced.  
"You sure? You don't seem like it to me."  
"No one is always happy."  
"That explains my three ex-wifes", Tony now really looked into Gibbs' eyes, willing to talk.  
"I've been going out with so many girls and women. It's never been hard. And now where I really want it to work out, it doesn't."  
"There's a difference between going out with some women and going out with that special woman."  
"But we were already having our first argument", Tony said looking down while Gibbs answered.  
"Good", Tony looked up again, not understanding what in the world would be good about that.  
"Why is it good?"  
"Arguments show whether your relationship is strong enough or not."  
"I think that explains the three ex-wifes more", a small grin came over Tonys face, followed by a laughter from Gibbs.  
"No relationship is perfect, Tony. There will always be times were you two need to work something out and where one of you has to surrender."  
"I know, but what if we don't understand each other?"  
"Then I'd say you'd be lying."  
"But that's why we argued."  
"It doesn't matter why you argued or about what. It's about finding a solution. The easy solution would be quitting. The second one might be hard, but it's what you actually want - working it out."  
Silent filled the room. It was true. And he knew all along that he wanted to work things out. But it was how Gibbs said, hard.

**Hope you liked it, even though there is still no happy ending. But maybe there's going to be one! For that, you have to continue reading :-)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, here you go. And again – I do NOT own NCIS (still wish I would).**

When he woke up he wished that it was all a dream. But it wasn't. They still didn't talk to each other and they haven't even seen each other since the day they argued.  
Gibbs' team had solved the case and got a new one for which McGee and Gibbs had to head out to Dallas, Texas. They had a double murder but one of the bodies was found in Washington D.C. and the other one in Dallas, Texas. Ziva went to Ducky to check if he had already found something on the first body.  
While Tony said in the bullpen, thinking and thinking, he first didn't notice that the forensic scientist had joined him.  
Abby looked at him, trying to figure out what it was he was thinking about.  
"What's going on", she finally asked the federal agent.  
He looked up at her, into her eyes.  
"I was just... I have nothing to do right now, I'm waiting for Ziva to come back... Anything new?"  
"No."  
"Then why are you here, Abby? Did Gibbs send you to me?"  
Abby tried to figure out what he meant, "Why would Gibbs send me to you?"  
Tony tried to avoid the question, "Are there any fingerprints or is there any suspicious material from the body?"  
"No. But what did you mean?"  
"You should go back to work, Abby."  
"Yeah, but just like you I have nothing to do right now."  
"You always have something to do", Tony said, trying to get Abby away. He loved Abby over almost everything, but right now he didn't want to talk about it.  
"Tony you know that if anything's wrong I am..."  
Tony interrupted her, "I know. But... I'm fine."  
"You don't seem fine."  
"Abby..."  
"Okay, you don't wanna talk about it. That's alright. But I just wanna tell you, I'm here for you."  
"I know."  
"And everything will be okay", she added.  
"Who knows that", Tony asked, hoping that the conversation would end soon.  
Abby understood and just nodded before walking away.

The funeral was closer and closer to come. Only a few more days. And it wasn't helping that she still hadn't worked things out with Tony. She didn't even know if he was coming to the funeral. If not, it would mean that he didn't want to work things out between them. If he did come, there would be a tiny spark inside of Kate. But who knows what the future brings? Every second something totally unexpected could happen. And you can't prepare yourself for it. It just comes. And then, it's too late. Every thing you say, every word you use, changes something in the relationship you have to someone. That was way too complicated, wasn't it?

The next day, McGee and Gibbs still were in Dallas, Texas and Ducky and Jimmy had just left to go there, too, Ziva interrogated a witness.  
Tony was, again, left alone in the bullpen. And again, Abby came to him.  
"Before you say something, I do not want to ask you out about what's going on", she started, getting his attention. He just nodded to show her that she should continue.  
"I wanted to tell you, that the funeral of Ray is on sunday and Kate invited me," hearing Kates name made his stomach turn and he tried hard not to show, "and so I wanted to know whether you'll come, too? Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, Jimmy and Ziva have already said yes. So, what about you?"  
"I'm the last one you ask?" Was all Tony could bring out in that moment.  
"No, it's just that yesterday I didn't want to bother you any more."  
Tony nodded and then thought before answering her. "Yes, I'll come, too."

The case was closed on saturday noon, and on sunday everyone went to the funeral.  
A few people in the church had already taken their seats. A lot of the people in the church were friends of Ray, friends from the navy of course. Kate and Annie had already talked to Kate's parents, and her brothers and her sister Rachel, when it was five minutes till it began.  
Gibbs' team and Sarah arrived then, too, walking up to the front row. Tony shortly stopped at Kate who went there too, saying: "You look good", with a small, nervous smile on his face. Then they all sat down.  
Kate and Tony sat next to each other. The pastor talked and talked, and Tony was all nervous. Not because he was in a church or because the pastor was talking and talking and didn't seem to stop, but because he was sitting next to Kate and he was nervous. She was making him nervous. And he had no clue, that she felt the same way.  
After the pastor had finally stopped talking, Annie stepped to the front, to hold a little speech.  
"Hi...", she started, having a little smile on her face, "I'm Annie. Ray was one of the most important and awesome people I've got to meet in my life. He was the best friend of my dad who died when I was really young. Ray was helping me grow up and he was always there for me. He tought me a lot, things I will never forget. He tought me how to play the piano, a lot of beautiful songs. I always loved that but there were also times or days where I didn't want to learn a new song or play the same song over and over again. So sometimes we played and sung to it. When I turned older, I enjoyed singing more and more and so he helped me write songs. But the problem was that I had no idea what they should be about. He always helped me make those decisions. He was there for me when I needed a little help. But these so small seeming moments are the ones we'll never forget. I remember Ray and I writing the maybe most horrible song ever about... two friends of mine. They were... kind of torn apart for a long time and everytime I heard stories about them, I was close to tears. I thought it was such a shame that two people who belong together like them were torn apart even though neither of them had planned that", Kate and Tony both knew that Annie was talking about them. "Ray and I would talk hours and hours about them. When I had a nightmare, I would call him and he'd tell me stories he'd heard about them. I really loved Ray because he was such a good person his entire life. My favorite story of these two friends of mine is the one where the guy gets infected by a horrible sickness. A sickness which could cause him his death. At first it wasn't sure if she was infected, too, so the two of them had to be in this isolation room. When the doctors got the results that the girl wasn't infected, they told her that only he was infected. But instead of leaving, she went to the boy and told him that she was infected, too, and so she stayed", Tony remembered that day as if it was yesterday. And suddenly he knew that he couldn't risk losing her again, maybe this time for ever. He didn't took his eyes from Annie but while she was talking, he moved his left arm to the left side a bit. Feeling Kates hand, he took it in his. She looked at him, and as he noticed, he immediately looked at her, too. "But a bit later the sickness would be too dangerous for her to stay, so she had to leave. After she left, she cried. She loved him. Well... she still loves him. Even though they were torn apart. That was what always proved me that love never dies. And that's what I feel right now, too. I'll always remember Ray and I'll always appreciate the things he'd done for me. And... as I told you, he tought me a couple of songs on the piano and I think that he would've wanted me to play one of them. At first I had no clue which one, but I know that he always prefered songs from Chris de Burgh. So... I decided to play a piano version of the song 'Missing you' by Chris de Burgh. Hope you like it", Annie said before walking to the piano and starting to play.

The funeral was over and everyone left the church. The people walking out of the church were telling Annie that she played it beautiful and some said they were sorry for her loss. After a few minutes almost everyone had left and Gibbs' team (execpt Tony), Sarah and Annie stood at the exit of the church.  
Annie looked around a bit, "Hey... has anyone seen Tony or Kate?"

After the funeral was over and everyone stood up and made their way out of the church, Tony still hadn't let go of Kate's hand. He softly pulled her out of the church while low-voiced saying "We need to talk."  
The two of them walked around the corner of the church and stopped on the wall of it.  
Kate wanted to say something, but she couldn't so she waited for Tony to say something. He stood in front of her. Close in front of her, still holding her hand.  
"Kate what... what you said to me the other day is killing me. I'm kind of shocked that you really think that you don't mean more to me than the girls I've dated. When I said I love you, one of the hardest things I ever admitted, I meant it. If you want me to, I could tell you what I exactly love about you. It's you. I love you in your entire person. I love your personality, your skills, your jokes, how you wouldn't tell me what tattoo you have, how you stayed with me when I had the plague. I love the expressions you've given to me, all of them. I love the expression you'd give me when I'd lie to you about something, like when you had that snake around your leg and I told you it was a dangerous one. I love the way you dress, I love your eyes, your lips, your hair, your voice, your... your everything! I just love every inch of you, Katie. And I won't give up on you. I lost you for seven years and I will not lose you again. I couldn't. See how you make me? You make me talk about my feelings", Kate grinned. "Kate... when I said I don't want to tell them yet I meant that because I thought that you wanted to start things off slow and I'd be okay with that. I didn't know that you were already ready to tell everyone about us because I thought that you wanted to wait a bit to see if we would really work out. I should've told you what my mind to it is, I know that now."  
Kate nodded trying to look serious and trying not to start laughing which felt pretty hard to her and Tony noticed. "Hey, why are you laughing?"  
"I'm not laughing", Kate said grinning.  
"You are... why?"  
"Tony I..."  
"Yes...?"  
"I love you", she finally said causing him a big smile on his face and then hugging her tight. "I love you, I love you, I love you", he said laughing of happiness.

"There you are", Abby said when Tony and Kate came around the church corner, joining them. They were the only ones left.  
"I know, I just wanted to show my girlfriend that the church does not have a gardener who is cutting the grass all smooth", Tony explained, Gibbs seeming to be the only one noticing what he just said, so he just smiled.  
"What? Are you okay, Tony?" Abby asked before she noticed something. "Wait. You just said girlfriend. But you were with Kate. Which means that... OH MY GOD IT FINALLY HAPPENED!" Abby shouted happy, jumping up and down.  
Tony and Kate laughed and Tony laid his arm around Kates waist.  
"Admit it", Annie said, trying to sound as serious as possible, "It was my amazing touching speech that solved it."  
"Of course it was. It's all just because of you", Kate replied ironically and smiling.  
"Strong enough", Gibbs said to Tony who understood immediately, smiling.  
"Thanks, boss."  
"Why aren't you thanking me?" Abby asked making a sad face.  
"Why?"  
"Oh Tony, are you never listening to me? Because a few days ago I told you that whatever it is, everything would be good again", Abby repeated herself.  
Tony nodded, acting serious. "You're right. Thank you."  
"I really have to say, you two make a good couple. You know, everytime Tony would come back from a date I am hoping that it's finally someone really good. And now it look likes hoping brought something", Ziva said to Kate.  
"Thank you."  
The group talked more and more til they slowly turned less and less people. Annie went to Sarah to go watch a movie and Tony drove to Kates.  
Coming in the house and closing the door, Tony started to kiss his girlfriend.  
"I can't believe I survived seven years without you", Kate said after their kiss.  
"Me neither."  
"Thank you."  
"What for?"  
"I don't know... I guess... just for being here. Being here with me", Kate explained, looking him deep in the eyes. Neither of them could believe how they got to spend the last seven years away from each other, especially because they now felt as if they couldn't even spend a second without each other.  
Tony nodded, "I hope you'll always remember that you said that."  
"Why?"  
"Because I won't leave you", Tony stated earning a shocked face from Kate.  
"God, DiNozzo, how should I survive that?" Tony grinned.  
"I missed that more than anything."  
"You mean more like for example that car of yours that was stolen from you and then crashed and totally destroyed while the guy who stole it survived it?"  
Tony looked at her with a sad face. "That was a dark day, Katie. It was really tragic to see my baby get hurt."  
"Aw, poor baby", she said, stroking his cheek with her hand.  
"A kiss could make the pain go away."  
"We could try", Kate said before kissing him.  
"This is the beginning of something long. And good", Tony said, taking her hands in his.  
Yes, there was still a lot to do, there would be a few more fights come up. New challenges, more emotions. But they were ready for it. They were ready to live the life how they were supposed to - together.  
Kate looked into his eyes, "What if, there was one person who planned all this?"  
Before kissing her forehead and lying his arms around her, Tony replied, "Then it was worth waiting, cause everything turned out to be good."

**That's it you Tate lovers. A fanfiction with a happy ending. **

**I hope you liked it. Thanks for all the reviews I got, and I hope you'll check out my upcoming fanfictions, too! :-)**


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